King Arthur's Knights 1: The Once and Future King - 1st Edition
by Deliverer
Summary: Arthur's official coronation is approaching fast. Lillian isn't sure her nephew is ready for the responsibility. If Arthur wants to win the people's loyalty, he'll have to prove himself. Easy, right? Not if you're the biggest screw up ever. Rebel kings threaten war, and now Arthur has to learn fast that not everything can be faced alone. Help can come from the most unlikely places.
1. In My Time of Dying

**King Arthur's Knights**

 _Book 1: The Once and Future King_

 _Act 1: The Game Begins_

(A/N: Finally, a long time after I started writing this - you don't even want to know how long - I'm posting it. I'm nervous about it too. You have no idea how long I've worked on this story, or how many changes I've made since I first started writing it, or how much research I've poured into it when I could have been spending my time on other things, and I'm still not happy with it completely. I don't even know if this story will be worth it, and I took a few creative liberties, but I certainly hope it will be. I hope the whole series will be, though goodness knows if or when I'll ever manage to finish it with all the changes I keep making and all the ideas that keep pouring in. Anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed - enjoyed is a subjective term in this case - writing it.

Only the first chapter, and subsequent flash forwards, are in first person. Once again, enjoy. Reviews are very much appreciated, and thank you in advance to any reviewers/readers who find this story and give it a shot. A lot of names might be a bit unfamiliar, but hopefully they won't be for long.

 **Interjection:** The flashback regarding Tristan is subject to change, though that depends on how the series ultimately plays out.)

Prologue: In my Time of Dying

The swords are still clashing… Yep. Even with both army leaders dead or dying, the swords are still clashing… And here I am, laying on the ground in the middle of it in a pool of blood, bleeding out while looking up at the sky. It's peaceful up there. Wish it were so down here too, but the swords are still echoing, though I guess they're dying down. Which means either they've realized we've fallen, or they're on the verge of killing each other off. At this point I don't care anymore… They're all gone… Everything is gone… Soon I'll be too, I suppose. Yep. Arthur Pendragon is on his death bed…

Guess you're all wondering how such a beloved character as I—laugh, laugh—came to be here, lying in the middle of a field dying before I'm forty. _Way_ before I'm forty. No, I'm not saying how old I am. Anyway, back to how I got here. Let's just say it's a long story. Some people think it really isn't. They figure the reason for my being here now can be summed up in one name, Mordred le Fay. One, Morgan wasn't Mordred's mother, Anna was. Anna was also known as Morgause. Morgan and Morgause being merged into one person didn't come about until _centuries_ after this. Two, le Fay isn't a last name, it was Morgan's title. She was, is, a sorceress. Sue her. Three, Mordred is only a part—albeit among the biggest parts—of the whole. Those who say otherwise are ignorant and I would punch them in the face if I could right about now. Don't pin this thing completely on him. Seriously, I'm warning you, don't you dare.

I could pin the blame on Gawain maybe, for forcing me into war with Lancelot, but that wasn't the start of this. I could blame Lancelot and Guinevere, I guess. Would certainly be easy enough. It could be reasoned that if they hadn't started up their little affair, Mordred wouldn't have had such an easy way to drive a wedge into the works, the Knights of the Round Table wouldn't have divided so horribly, and we'd all be sitting pretty right about now like always, drinking and merrymaking. Considering, of course, that we saw Morgause and Morgan whispering poisonous words into Mordred's ears and put a stop to it. But like I said, though it would be easy to pin the blame on Lance, Gawain, or Mordred, that's not where it started falling apart; and honestly, my dying wish right now is that I had been able to make up with Lancelot for that disaster. It was… horrible… and painful…

Ugh, getting off topic again. Guess that's what happens when you're, you know, dying slowly and painfully and losing focus with blood loss. If I were to try and trace it back, I couldn't. It was insidious like that. It might have started chipping away with Daniel's death at Lancelot's hands, but I doubt it. That was an accident and Lancelot made up with Brunor le Noir and Dinadan in the end. The pain never left, sure, and maybe I'm wrong about that too, but whatever the matter we were starting to repair. It might have been the death of King Bors de Ganis. It might have been King Pellinore killing King Lot of Orkney. It might even have started falling apart after Morholt's death. He was one of the earlier Knights of the Round Table to die, and in addition to being one of the first, the guy who killed him was another Knight, Tristan. It's all speculation now, I guess, and in the end it doesn't matter. Tristan and Morholt… I still remember that day… It's seared in my memory like a brand. All their deaths are...

KAK

 _"Where's Tristan?" Arthur demanded._

 _"I haven't spoken to Tristan in days!" Dinadan insisted._

 _"What about Morholt?" Arthur asked._

 _"It's been a week since last Morholt was in contact with me," Meliot stated, a hint of worry in his voice._

 _"Look, this is serious! Has anyone seen Tristan or Morholt? Anyone?" Arthur demanded of his knights._

 _"We need to search for them. Something might have gone wrong!" Aglovale insisted. "Maybe they were attacked."_

 _"Attacked?! This is Tristan and Morholt we're talking about! We all know what their relationship is like," Dornar said. "If they were attacked, it wasn't some outside force attacking."_

 _Just then the doors opened. All of them turned and gasped, stiffening. There stood Tristan, panting and covered in blood. Some of it was his own, that was true enough, but most… It was the blood of another. Their eyes were wide. "Tris, what happened?" Dinadan asked, concern coming to his eyes as he began to approach._

 _"Don't," Tristan said. Dinadan froze. Tristan looked at his arms a long moment. "I could have let him go…"_

 _"Tris, what are you…?" Dinadan began._

 _"He's dead… I killed him…" Tristan numbly said. They all stiffened. Morholt!_

 _"No… No!" Meliot exclaimed, eyes wide as he caught on._

 _"T-Tris… You don't mean…" Arthur numbly began._

 _"The tributes end. The slavery… It ends… King Anguish will not try again… So why do I feel so miserable…?" Tristan asked._

 _"You bastard! He loved you like his own," Dodinel le Savage—heart dropping like a stone—furiously yelled, trying to attack Tristan immediately._

 _"Pinel, don't!" Percival exclaimed, catching his cousin and holding him back._

 _"Stephen, calm down," Lancelot added, helping Percival to keep the Knight of Many Names back._

 _"What did you do, Tristan? What did you do?" Meliot quietly but dangerously demanded… And then Tristan burst into tears and fell to his knees, pulling his hair._

 _"I killed him! I killed Morholt! I killed him!" Tristan screamed. Shortly thereafter, the rest of the hall was plunged into mourning, as well. Not long after that, Tristan, fearing for his life at Dodinel's hands or Meliot's, had realized it wasn't a good plan to go for medical aid in Camelot and had retreated back to Ireland to be healed…_

KAK

Tristan didn't last another two years. He might not have even lasted one. I can't remember, exactly, when he died. If I tried to remember I could, I just… I don't _want_ to remember… What I want to remember is him alive, _all_ of them alive. I wish I could forget everything else. Tristan didn't cry. A manly tear here and there, but he never cried. We used to joke that the day Tristan cried would be the day the apocalypse was nigh... He cried that day… More than cried, he completely broke down sobbing… Granted this isn't the apocalypse, but it sure _feels_ like it to those of us who were involved.

You know, I don't think Tristan wanted to do it by the end. I think… I think he wanted to stop, to let it go, to let Morholt live. He probably _should_ have… I mean none of the subsequent events were his fault either just because he killed Morholt and wept, heck if it was anyone's fault it was probably _mine_ , but it showed us painfully that even fire-forged friends could suffer a fatal division. It sobered us. I still don't know what drove Tristan to go through with it. Just one of those things, I guess. Besides, he could be stubborn as a mule when he was really passionate about something… I miss him… I miss them all… They're all dead, you know… Well, not Lance, and I have no idea where Bedivere and a few others are, but yeah. We're pretty well all dead now say for a handful. Maybe not even that.

There were one-hundred-fifty flipping Knights of the Round Table. One-hundred fifty! More than two-hundred renowned knights of Camelot, aka Far Far Away, when counting my general court and my allies... Now I may just be able to count on one _hand_ , maybe two if I'm optimistic, how many are left still alive. Just don't quote me on that. After all, I'm not thinking clearly anymore.

It's funny… All my life all I ever wanted was friends… Now all I want is to be the loner and loser I used to be… It would make all of this _so_ much less painful... That's not the story you want to hear right now, though, is it? You want to hear it from the beginning, where it started. Oh who am I kidding? You probably couldn't care less. Not like the name of King Arthur will be remembered. Will probably just fade into history silently and never be thought on again. But if you're into hearing a dying man's story, then let's begin. I'm seeing my life flashing before my eyes anyway, so it should be easy to tell it. It all began after Charming's defeat…

 _Long Ago..._

 _Once upon a time there lived an ogre named Shrek, and his beloved wife Fiona. Fiona was the only daughter of the King and Queen of Far Far Away, and so when the day came that the old king was no more, it would be the princess and her husband to take the throne._ _In time the King became ill to the point of death. He called Shrek and Fiona to his bedside to give them his last blessing and farewell._

 _Fearing the people's reaction to an ogre king, and not desiring to leave his swamp, Shrek begged to know if there was any other heir._ _In his last moments, the dying King told him of a boy by the name of Arthur, who lived in a place called Worcestershire, and so Shrek set off to find him; but in his absence, the evil Prince Charming seized control._

 _When Shrek returned, together he and Arthur faced Charming and all his followers and defeated him. Arthur was named king, and Shrek returned to his swamp with Fiona, becoming a father to triplets. With that, Shrek's story came to a close, for a little while at least, but as to the young King Arthur's? His was just beginning…_


	2. No!

No!

(A/N: There's a tiny Sword in the Stone Easter Egg in Arthur's age when he pulled it. There'll be a couple in this series.)

Arrangements for the official coronation were in the process of being made. It had been going on half a year since Shrek had departed, and the palace buzzed with excitement and eagerness. Lillian was preparing to officially step down, and soon Arthur would take the reigns and rule on his own. "Is everything ready for Arthur's big day?" Lillian demanded, buzzing about the palace rapidly.

"It's all coming together nicely, your highness," the party planner answered. "So far things have gone off without a hitch."

"I feel like something is missing," Lillian fretted.

"It will be taken care of," the planner answered. He hesitated a moment, "Err, your majesty, there is… a matter to consider. A very important one," he tentatively said.

"Well, speak up," Lillian commanded. The planner shifted uneasily. "Well?" she pressed.

He held his breath then blurted, "The Sword in the Stone, my lady!" Everyone in the throne room froze, gasping and turning to him quickly.

Everything went dead silent, and Lillian seemed slightly pale. Realizing things were at a standstill, she shook out of it. "Well what are you all waiting for? Go on with the arrangements!" she insisted. They got back to work, now muttering uneasily. Gossip. Just what Arthur needed so early in his reign. She turned to the party planner. "Is that really necessary?" she questioned.

"I'm afraid, my lady, that his picking up the crown and putting it on his head isn't going to be good enough for everyone. There are those who will want to see proof that he is the rightful heir to the throne. I… must admit I'm one of them. The legend may have ceased to be spoken of long ago, but it is still remembered. The people _knew_ Shrek. He gained quite a reputation here. Now a new heir has arisen from nowhere to reach out for the position, one of low birth for all they know and still a baby, and how should I put this? He's given the people no reason to trust he is the true king. Since Prince Charming's defeat, what has he done of note?" the planner said.

"Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and anvil when he was twelve years of age. The whole of Worcestershire saw it. Isn't that good enough?" Lillian asked, sitting on the throne. Not that Arthur's pulling the sword had done her nephew any good, of course. Perhaps it was even part of the reason Arthur had been targeted worse than before after the fact, but she couldn't presume to know.

"The people of this land, as many as possible, will want to see it with their own eyes," the planner answered. "After all, his throne will not be in Worcestershire. It will be here. The projected turnout is so huge we should sell tickets, but I suppose it's their right to know for free whether Arthur is the King that was prophesied."

"Can the stone and anvil be moved here? Because it will take an inhuman force to drag my nephew back to that school," Lillian said.

"That's beyond the scope of my job," the planner replied, walking off to oversee things once more.

Lillian sighed, shaking her head. Just what she needed. The sword and anvil on _top_ of the fact her nephew wasn't even half as prepared to take up this mantle as he should be. These last six months she had been doing her best to teach him, but she got the distinct impression he hadn't been taking it seriously, too caught up in the excitement of it all. Now the days until the coronation were ticking down and she was more than a little concerned. She'd think about it later, she decided. Right now, she needed to check on Arthur. He should be holding court, but he'd been slacking thus far. That wasn't a good sign as to his aptitude, she knew. She wanted to see if he'd actually done it this time. She sincerely hoped he had, or it was lecture time again. She felt like if Arthur took the throne at this stage, she would be the one ruling and he would just be the figurehead. Again, that wasn't a good place for a new king to be. Shaking her head, she headed towards the throne room.

KAK

Arthur lounged on the throne and sighed in contentment. "Ah, this is the life. It's good to be King," he said.

"You said it," another voice replied. Arthur opened his eyes, frowning, and yelped at the face right above him, jerking back.

"Dagonet! What the heck, man?! Personal space, please!" Arthur shot at the other boy, the court jester, fool, whatever.

Dagonet laughed, sitting back down. "Uppity enough, Artie?" he teased.

"Get lost. You're not supposed to be lounging anyway. Don't you have court duties to attend to or something?" Arthur demanded. "Pretty sure there's a coronation you're supposed to be getting ready for."

Dagonet pouted. "Why should I work when you're doing jack squat?" he demanded.

Arthur opened his mouth to retort, but just then… "Arthur?" a voice called.

The young ruler sat quickly up, startled, and looked towards the woman who was entering the throne room. "A-aunt Lillian! I wasn't being lazy, I swear!" he stammered quickly, hurrying to make himself look regal. Dagonet snorted, smirking. Arthur gave him a death glare and Dagonet made a zipped motion across his lips.

"Oh hush now, Arthur dear. I didn't come to lecture you," Queen Lillian gently chastised as she came up to him and sat on the other throne that Dagonet had vacated for her. Dagonet perched on something else, crossed his legs, and listened curiously. "Now Arthur, I'm going to ask you some questions, all right?" Lillian asked, noting no signs of court having been held. That was not what she'd wanted to see.

"Oh, uh, okay," Arthur hesitantly replied as he sat up straight.

"Ooh, quiz time," Dagonet teased.

"Shut up!" Arthur snapped.

"Arthur!" Lillian shot.

"It's his fault!" Arthur accused, pointing at Dagonet. Dagonet clicked his tongue.

"Arthur Pendragon," Lillian growled.

Arthur withered. "Sorry Aunty," he said.

Lillian harrumphed. "Forgiven. Now, who are the five main princesses of Far Far Away?" she questioned.

"Uh…" he began. "C-cousin Fiona?"

Lillian looked at him, startled, then asked, "You do know, don't you?"

"Uh, maybe?" he innocently said with a grin.

"Oh dear… Well, who once ruled over the land of Duloc?" Lillian asked.

"Du what now?" he asked.

"Really, Arthur? Duloc, our twin kingdom," Lillian explained in shock. How did he not know that? "Ruled once by Lord Farquaad?"

"Uh, sure, Lord Farpnod," Arthur replied.

"Arthur!" Lillian said in disappointment.

"W-well what do you expect?! I haven't learned this stuff yet," Arthur defended.

"I see," Lillian gravely said. That was the last thing she wanted to hear.

He caught the tone and tensed up. "Aunty Lillian, what are you thinking?" he asked.

She sighed, putting down the papers, and entwined her hands in front of her mouth. She willed herself to stay calm. This might work in their favor after all. Arthur needed to pull the sword from the stone and anvil. To do that he needed to return to Worcestershire. If she presented this well, she could in theory kill two birds with one stone and both get him the education he was lacking, as well as earn him the respect he needed to get a foothold in his new position. If he learned some responsibility along the way, more than he displayed now at least, then that was all the better. "Arthur, the questions I've asked you are basic ones that the King should know the answer to."

"I-I can learn…" Arthur nervously said.

"Yes, you can," she replied, meeting his eyes. He caught on immediately and his eyes widened.

"No… oh no. No, no, no, no, no!" he fearfully said, sensing where this was going.

"I'm afraid so. Arthur, I think you need to go back to school," she declared. He screamed.

KAK

Lillian and Dagonet covered their ears cringing, waiting for the King to finally calm down. "Arthur, please!" Lillian finally yelled at her nephew. He continued screaming. Dagonet approached and slapped Arthur hard.

Arthur froze, snapping out of it. He looked blankly at Dagonet, then at Lillian. All at once he fell to his knees, clasping his hands together. "Aunt Lillian, you can't! You wouldn't! Oh please don't make me go back there, _please_! I hate it! There I'm nothing but a loser! Here I'm a king! You can't do this to me!" he pled.

"Arthur, control yourself!" she ordered. "A King must know his land, his allies, and his history like the back of his hand! You know _nothing_ about it!"

"Then teach me, Aunty!" he begged.

"Oh Arthur, you require more than I can teach you," she sympathetically soothed as she put her hands on his shoulders. "If only your father… never mind," she quietly remarked. He looked sadly down, resentful but also saddened at the mention of the man. "My dear, it won't be so bad. You'll see."

"Yeah right," he sharply retorted as he stood quickly up, shoving her reassuring hands away.

"Arthur, you're going to school. That's final," Queen Lillian firmly said. "I shall get Shrek to accompany you back tomorrow morning. You will start classes the next day. I'll make arrangements for the coronation to be moved there. It's probably a more convenient location anyway."

"But Far Far Away needs a King, not Worcestershire!" he exclaimed, in a last-ditch effort to save face.

"And it will have one," she promised. "Every weekend you'll return to _be_ that king. I can hold the fort during the week," Queen Lillian replied, smiling.

"But Aunty…" he began, near to tears.

"Hush dear, you will be fine," she comfortingly said, placing a hand on his cheek. "If it will help, I shall send Dagonet along to school with you."

"Really? I'm going to school?! Awesome!" Dagonet cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "I can't wait!"

"See? Dagonet's happy about it," Lillian said.

"Turncoat," Arthur growled at Dagonet. Dagonet sheepishly grinned, shrugging.

"Arthur, don't worry. It will be alright," Lillian assured. Arthur sniffed then smirked sadly up at her smiling face. She brushed his hair back and left. Anger set in and he kicked the throne. Dagonet cringed.

KAK

"Wait, wait, wait; you sent me all the way to that rat's nest of a school to _get_ Artie, and now you want me to bring him back?" Shrek asked in disbelief as he and Fiona sat with Fiona's mother. Big Bad Wolf, who was visiting, slept on the couch, or tried. Puss and Donkey listened incredulously.

"For the last time, yes Shrek. Goodness Fiona darling, your husband has broken it down as much as he possibly can," Lillian impatiently replied, sipping her tea.

"Oh boy," Shrek sighed.

"Shrek, honey, it'll be good for us to help Arthur be the best King he can be," Fiona reasoned, or tried.

" _I_ think he's doing a _great_ job," Shrek replied.

"Yeah, who needs dumb school anyway? _I_ never went back, and look how _I_ turned out," Donkey boasted.

"Ay caramba," Puss said.

"Maybe you have something with this school," Shrek remarked dryly, dubiously looking at Donkey.

"Perhaps King Arthur does not need school after all. What better way to learn to be King than by means of example?" Puss suggested.

"Yeah, get someone to mentor the kid on how to rule and let me sleep," Wolf backed up.

"There is no one now. Harald is gone, Merlin is clueless, and Sir Ector is no king," Lillian lamented.

"Wait, who's Ector?" Fiona questioned.

"Oh, that's right, you don't know much about Arthur's past, do you?" Lillian asked.

"Well, no," Shrek admitted exchanging looks with Fiona. Truth be told, until now they hadn't noticed just how little of it they _did_ know.

Lillian sighed deeply. "Arthur's life has been full of ups and downs. You see, he never knew his father," she stated.

"Well _I_ know that. Arthur's father abandoned him," Shrek said.

"Abandoned?" Lillian replied, visibly surprised at this.

"Well, yeah. Didn't _you_ know?" Shrek asked.

"Some crazy wizard guy did this whole Journey of the Soul thing on us, _man_ that was fun, and Arthur said he saw a baby bird and its daddy, and he said the daddy bird went and flew away on his baby! Never came back," Donkey said, visibly put out at the idea a parent would leave their child. No doubt due to his own babies.

"What? No, that isn't how it happened at all. Despite what Arthur believes, his father never left him! He fully intended to go back for his son, but he died before he could," Lillian stated. Shrek and Fiona started. "Oh dear… You really haven't a clue, do you…?" Lillian asked.

"Apparently neither does Artie, so enlighten us!" Shrek said, visibly shocked at this.

"Oh my," Lillian murmured. She put her cup down with a sigh. "Very well. I suppose you have a right to know. You see, when Arthur was a baby his father, Uther Pendragon, charged the newborn to Merlin's care. As I understand it, it was part of a deal the two had made. If Merlin helped Uther to win the hand of my baby sister, Igraine, then Uther would give him whatever he asked for in exchange. But Igraine was already married, to a man named Gorlois. Merlin assured Uther that he would take care of everything. Uther made the deal but he never intended to keep it! He believed Merlin was totally out of his mind. Sure enough, Merlin delivered on his side of the bargain, disguising Uther as Gorlois and sending him in to Igraine. Meanwhie, Gorlois fell in battle. When news arrived of Gorlois's death, Uther took Igraine as his wife."

"Dare we ask what price the wizard asked?" Puss said.

"When he returned to collect on the debt, the price Merlin asked was Arthur, and it was too late for Uther to back out," Lillian seriously said, nodding.

"Now that's not fair!" Shrek said, shocked at this.

"It was fairer than you might think. Uther didn't have much choice. The land was on the verge of war, and Uther realized that giving his son up would ensure his safety. But Uther planned to return for his child and take him back by any means necessary, when things were safe again. After collecting Arthur, Merlin brought him to a lord by the name of Sir Ector to foster and raise as his own, alongside Ector's own son Kay. Uther found him, when Arthur was about three or four, and for a year or two he stayed in Ector's home on and off. Arthur became attached and started to think of him as a second father. Perhaps somewhere within him he even knew who Uther really was. It would seem he did, given he realizes the one who left him was his father, but it wasn't an abandonment like he believes. Uther simply rode off to battle and never returned."

"Ay caramba," Puss said, wincing. He wondered how _Arthur_ would react to that news. Perhaps it was kinder not to tell. At least not right now.

"Merlin remained my nephew's mentor throughout his life. Arthur grew up at Worcestershire with his foster father and brother, learning under the magician for a good many years before the senile old coot had his breakdown. Ector was the closest thing to a true father Arthur ever had, but even still it seems the boy never truly felt like he belonged. I wonder if Arthur really believes his father just abandoned him? My nephew is not naïve. It may be just as likely that he wants to _think_ he did," Lillian remarked.

"Why would he want to think that?" Fiona asked worriedly.

Lillian was quiet. "Perhaps so he never has to mourn him," she finally replied. Fiona gave a small gasp as her heart dropped. "But if somewhere within him Arthur knows his father is dead, then I suspect that mourn him he did nevertheless… Perhaps he still does… Perhaps that is why he chooses to tell himself to hate him."

At the close of her story, there was silence. Shrek sat stunned. Puss held his hat respectfully. "Wow, poor Artie," Donkey said, flabbergasted, finally breaking the silence. Big Bad growled from the couch, warning them to keep quiet. The wolf personally didn't think the tale was that bad.

"Right. School it is then," Shrek agreed.

Lillian smiled. "He'll be here soon," she stated as she lifted her cup. "His carriage should pull up any minute now." She sipped her tea.

Right on cue horses were heard whinnying. "And so, it begins," Puss said as he put his hat back on and swept his cape behind him, leading the procession outside.

"I'm not going to get any sleep here, am I?" Wolf asked, grumpily rising to follow.

KAK

They saw Arthur step from the carriage, trying to look proud, but instead he tripped, losing his balance and falling into the dirt. Another boy leapt out nimbly, blinking blankly. He cringed and pulled Arthur up. Getting his bearings again, Arthur cleared his throat, embarrassed, and called, "Hey guys!"

"Artie!" they all chimed together. They started towards him, Donkey at a gallop.

"Who's your friend?" Shrek asked, jerking a thumb at Dagonet who was gawking in horror and awe at the ogre.

"Who this? The Court Jester, Dagonet," Arthur introduced. "Dagonet, meet Shrek, Puss in Boots, Donkey, Big Bad Wolf, and my cousin Fiona." Wait, Shrek had thought Dagonet was his _friend_? Huh… He'd never really seen Dagonet as a friend before. What gave Shrek that impression, he wondered?

Donkey walked alongside Arthur, saying secretively, "Between you and me, I ain't so hot on the school thing either."

"At least _someone_ agrees," Arthur replied, pointedly glaring at Dagonet who whistled, pretending not to notice. "Let's get this over with."

"Hey, Big Bad Wolf!" Donkey called to Big Bad.

"What?" the wolf asked in annoyance.

"You, my friend, are coming with us on a trip," Puss declared for Donkey.

"Since when?" Wolf groaned.

"Chicken?" Puss taunted.

"Hey, who you callin' chicken, scaredy cat?" Wolf retorted. "I'll be ready."

"Remember, Arthur, there _is_ more than one reason you're returning there. In a week's time your coronation will commence. Keep it in mind and consider it your kingly duty. You will be asked to pull the sword from the stone in front of all the school and all those who turn out to see the proof of who you are," Lillian seriously warned. Arthur tensed up, looking suddenly more than a little uneasy.

"Greeeat," he replied, forcing a grin. Oh, he did _not_ need this. Dang it, he should have worked harder. He guessed, though, that even if he had he still would have had to go back to pull his stupid sword from the stupid stone and the stupid anvil yet again. Yeah, somehow that didn't make him feel better.

"Goodbye, dear!" Lillian called after him.

"Bye aunty, cousin Fiona," Arthur muttered forlornly.


	3. Back to School

Back to School

(A/N: Shrek and co leave in this chapter, but they'll be back in a few more.)

Shrek glanced uncertainly over at the silent Arthur. Donkey was humming _On the Road Again_. Puss was trying to nap on top of an already sleeping Wolf, who surprisingly had stuck to Puss's challenge. Dagonet was sitting up by the carriage driver, preferring being outside to being inside a cramped carriage with an Ogre, a talking wolf, a talking donkey, and a rapier savvy talking cat wearing a pair of boots, a cape, and a feathered hat... Freaks.

"Oh come on, Artie. It won't be so bad. Look at the bright side. You'll see all your friends, learn about the kingdom, make some new buddies even," Shrek said with a chuckle, trying to cheer Arthur up. Arthur simply glared at Shrek's reflection in the carriage's window. Shrek nervously cleared his throat. Arthur focused once more on the passing landscape. He wished he could get out and run through the forest. Wait a minute… why _couldn't_ he run? He looked cautiously at his escorts. Puss and Big Bad were asleep, finally. Shrek was looking out the opposite window, trying to tune out an oblivious and humming Donkey.

Arthur turned back to the carriage door, tongue sticking out as he focused. Slowly he began to open it. Donkey suddenly stopped humming to look at the boy. He'd heard a click. "Hey Artie, whatcha doin'? If you want air, open a window or somethin'." Curious gazes turned to Arthur.

Arthur, feeling adrenaline race through him, glared at Donkey then suddenly threw open the door, leaping out! "Whoa, Artie!" Shrek exclaimed in horror. Dagonet, hearing the cry, quickly looked over and gasped. Arthur had just _jumped_! Puss and Big Bad Wolf jolted awake.

"See ya, suckers!" Arthur called as he rolled, stood, then ran.

"I follow my King," Dagonet said with a thrilled grin. He seized the reigns of the horses, whipped them into a gallop so the others couldn't follow immediately without, you know, sustaining broken bones, and leapt nimbly from the carriage as well, rolling as he hit the ground. "Hey Arthur, wait up!" he called, chasing after the king. Arthur frowned. Did Dagonet _have_ to follow? Ugh, clingy much? Or maybe it was loyalty after all… Nah. No one had been loyal to him before, so why should Dagonet be any different? It was better not to start thinking like that. The last time he'd dared believe someone was trying to be his friend, he'd ended up burned. Humiliated, broken, taunted, betrayed... He winced at the memories. Yeah, he wouldn't start thinking Dagonet was trying to be his friend. The guy probably just liked being near to power.

"Artie, get back here!" Shrek called.

Puss leapt up and scrambled up next to the coachman, ordering, "Stop the carriage!"

"Sorry buddy, this carriage ain't stopping for nothing," the man replied.

"Oh no?" the Big Bad Wolf asked, climbing up next to the man. On seeing him the coachman gasped and screamed. Wolf shoved him away and seized the reigns, pulling the horses in.

"Good work," Puss complimented.

"Man, how'd you learn to do _that_?" Donkey asked.

"I'm a wolf, I scare people for a living," Big Bad replied. As soon as they were stopped, the four leapt from the carriage to pursue their charge.

"Artie, come here!" Shrek angrily called.

Arthur ignored their cries, steadily forcing his way through the thick brush panting, determined not to go back. Dagonet stayed close and quiet. Arthur was glad for that. It meant he could think. The young King didn't know where he was heading. A thousand ideas were going through his mind. He could go anywhere. He was King! However, one name insistently burrowed itself into his mind like it was calling him. _Merlin, Merlin, Merlin_. So, to Merlin he'd go.

KAK

All at once Arthur burst into a clearing with Dagonet, panting. He had no idea how far or long they'd run, just that all at once they were at his destination in the all too familiar surroundings. He bent over, gasping, and listened for any sound. He couldn't hear his pursuers. "I made it…" he said to no one. "I made it!" he exclaimed, jumping up and pumping his fist into the air. "I made it, woohoo! Yes! Dagonet, I'm out!" Quickly he ran towards the little shack.

"It's always 'I' with you, isn't it Arthur?" Dagonet bitterly muttered with a sigh. If this was his attitude, no wonder the guy had no one to call friend. He followed at a calm walk.

"Merlin, Merlin, it's me, Arthur! I'm back!" Arthur cried out, nearing the house. He reached the door and threw it open. "Mr. Merlin…" All at once, however, he gasped, words lost. There, sitting at a table talking with Mr. Merlin, was a young man perhaps a few years older than Arthur. He was sturdily built and tall, with shoulder length red hair and a squared jaw.

The young man turned to look at him and his mouth dropped. He shot to his feet. "Arthur?!" he exclaimed.

" _Kay_?!" Arthur asked in disbelief.

A door to an adjacent room of the shack flew open, and out came a girl about Arthur and Dagonet's age, probably a little older, with blonde hair, abnormally pale skin, and an apparent affinity for dark, elaborate clothing and makeup. "Kay?" she asked.

Dagonet entered the shack, then, and froze, eyes widening on seeing her. " _Hello_ there," he said, trying for flirty.

"Dagonet!" Arthur shot.

The girl looked over at Dagonet with a frown, then noticed Arthur. A stunned expression crossed her face. "Arthur!" she exclaimed in shock.

"Morgan!" Arthur cried in shock.

"Kay and Morgan?" Dagonet asked confusedly.

"Merlin!" Merlin suddenly intervened. The young people looked at the wizard blankly then back at each other.

"Um, can someone explain to me what's going on?" Dagonet asked. Arthur looked about to reply, but just then…

"Ah ha, there you are, Artie!" Shrek called as he threw the door open, cutting any conversation short. Morgan and Kay screamed.

"Excellent tracking, Big Bad Wolf," Puss complimented as he rode in on Donkey, Big Bad Wolf walking beside them.

"Man, we never would have found him if not for your nose, wolf man," Donkey added.

"It's my instinct," Big Bad Wolf replied with a shrug, seemingly bored.

Morgan hissed, recovering from the shock and stepping back, raising a hand alight with a spell. Kay drew his sword and moved quickly in front of Arthur, Dagonet, Morgan, and Merlin, angrily and defensively saying, "Ogre, evil talking creatures, stay back!"

"Uh, are we missing something here?" Shrek asked, pausing.

"Kay no!" Arthur cried, forcing Kay's wrist down.

"What? Why not? It's an ogre!" Kay exclaimed.

"Kay, Morgan, meet Shrek, Puss in Boots, Donkey, and Big Bad Wolf," Arthur grunted, finally shoving in front of Kay.

"You know these creatures?" Morgan questioned incredulously, cautiously relaxing the spell.

"I'll explain everything. First of all, what are _you_ two doing here?" Arthur demanded.

"We came for _you_ , brother dear," Morgan replied in an eerie monotone, hand on her hip in vague annoyance as she frowned.

"Wait, brother?" Donkey asked in confusion. "Artie, what are they talkin' about?"

Arthur cringed and looked back at the stunned group. Inwardly he groaned. No use hiding it now, he guessed. "Uh, about that… Guys, I'd, um, like you to meet my half-sister, Morgan le Fay," he said, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder. She flicked it off with a roll of her eyes and Arthur winced. "We share an unknown mother," he muttered. He looked to Kay. "And, um, this is, well, my foster brother. Kay. He's the son of a man named Ector who-who took me in when I was young," he continued. "I was Kay's Squire for a long time, much to his chagrin. I mean, technically I still am, but that's beside the point."

"So no relation between them?" Shrek asked, pointing to Morgan and Kay. He wanted to get the picture really clear here.

"Well, they might as _well_ be sister and brother the way they act with each other, if that counts," Arthur replied. The others, say for Merlin, still seemed shocked. Arthur, noting the silence, winced. "Guess I have explaining to do, don't I?" he murmured.

"You have no idea," Morgan deadpanned, glaring at him. Arthur sighed. Oh boy.

KAK

Soon enough the group was all sitting around a triangle table—of all the ridiculous shapes—that Merlin had conjured up. "What happened to you, Arthur?! You just disappeared," Kay angrily said, still processing things. "Dad was worried sick!"

"Then Mr. Ector should have taken me along with him when he went to see you abroad," Arthur replied, crossing his arms bitterly.

"You were too far behind in school! We've been over this," Kay argued.

"I'm sorry, okay?! Is that what you want to hear?" Arthur demanded.

"We thought you were dead!" Kay shouted.

"Wh-wha?" Arthur asked, eyes widening in shock and guilt. He hadn't written in all this time he'd been away, he suddenly realized. He'd been gone half a year and last anyone at Worcestershire had seen him, an ogre was packing him off. Ooh… Suddenly he felt like the lowest sort of scum.

"When Ector returned to Worcestershire and you were gone, and he heard what happened, he contacted Kay in a panic to be on the lookout. When no information came about you for months, Ector wrote to Kay to tell him that it was very possible you were dead. I delivered the message. Kay refused to believe it. He set out to try and find you on his own and figure out for sure if you were alive or not," Morgan said, glaring at Kay. "And maybe I was a little… unnerved, too, so I followed to make sure the wannabe hero didn't get himself killed."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I planned to write, just everything happened and…" Arthur began, a feeling of crushing guilt washing over him.

"But you _didn't_ write," Morgan replied. Arthur winced and bowed his head ashamedly. There was quiet.

Soon the silence was broken by the Big Bad Wolf. "Off topic question here, but if the kid doesn't know who his mother is, how does he know you're his half sister?" he asked Morgan.

Morgan sighed. "I was put to school in a nunnery. Not like I knew my mom either. One day it slipped out I had a half-brother somewhere, so I ran away and went off to find him. I found Merlin who told me who that half-brother was and brought me to him. Merlin told him who I was and told him we shared a mother. Arthur asked who that mother was, Merlin said he had no clue. I didn't either. I stuck around for a while before heading back to the nunnery, but I stayed with them every weekend after," she answered.

"Who's this?" Kay asked, looking at Dagonet.

"This? This is Dagonet, my Court Jester and… acquaintance," Arthur replied. He'd almost fallen into the trap of calling him friend, he noted. He had to be careful about that. 'Friends' hurt you. Well, not Shrek or Donkey or Puss, but they weren't human friends now, were they? Humanity couldn't be trusted. Wow that was jaded. Inwardly he winced. He should really try and work on that attitude. Especially now that he was king and would have to deal with them regularly. Just because he hadn't exactly had the best of experiences with people didn't mean that people were inherently bad or untrustworthy, right?

"Yep. Acquaintance," Dagonet confirmed, smiling. "More like friend, or I try to be, but seems your brother isn't big on having friends."

"Our brother has major, major, _major_ unresolved trust issues that no non-professional can fix," Kay deadpanned. "Don't take it to heart."

"Can you blame me?" an insulted Arthur demanded, frowning.

"Oh, how wonderful to see you all together again!" Merlin intruded, gathering Kay, Morgan, and Arthur, into a crushing embrace to try and break the tension. Dagonet blinked blankly and stepped awkwardly away.

"How did you two know where to find me?" Arthur asked Kay and Morgan, pulling free from Merlin. "Mr. Merlin, you didn't tell, did you?" Arthur demanded.

"Aren't you happy to see us?" Kay asked, offended and a bit angry.

"Huh? Of course!" Arthur replied, immediately trying to ease Kay's growing anger. The guy had a heck of a temper and you didn't want to be on the receiving end. "It's-it's just that this is so unexpected," he continued, sitting. "Kay, if you knew what had been happening…"

"Tell us," Morgan said, perking up in interest as she and Kay leaned forward. Arthur took a deep breath then narrated everything from the moment that Shrek came to get him from Worcestershire Academy. At least the interesting parts.

KAK

"And that's why I can't go to school again," Arthur finished. "I'll pull the sword and do the coronation thing, but I can't stay. I'll do anything to get _out_ of staying."

Morgan and Kay stared at Arthur in shock. "You're king?" Kay asked incredulously. He and Morgan looked at each other then burst into laughter. Well, Morgan was cackling... Unnervingly...

"I can't believe it!" his sister said.

"King Arthur? What sort of moniker is _that_?" Kay asked.

"Hey, you saw me pull the sword from that stone! Why is this so hard to believe?!" Arthur demanded.

"Are you kidding?" Kay asked. "I was seriously beginning to think that sword thing was a joke Merlin played."

"Well thanks for the support!" Arthur angrily said. He shot up from the table, storming out of the house. Dagonet, Shrek, Donkey, Puss, and Big Bad all looked at each other in shock, then followed.

"Whoa, hold on Artie, we're sorry, but you have to admit it's hard to believe," Kay said as he and Morgan followed Arthur and co.

"No kidding," Morgan said, filing her black nails to a point. They were starting to look more like claws by now, which was creepy in and of itself, but Morgan was kind of strange.

"Why?" Arthur challenged.

"Hey, before you met this Shrek guy the other students weren't too far off with the names they called you," Kay replied.

"Well I'm better now!" Arthur defended. Well, he was getting there. Slowly. He'd improved since his adventure with Shrek, but there was still a lot of work to be done.

"Sure you are," Dagonet said, smirking. Arthur glared at him. Disbelief. Great. Whatever. He was used to disbelief, incredulity, and underestimation by now.

"If you're better now, then you're going to need to prove it to them, Artie," Kay stated, nodding approvingly at Dagonet. Good. Others saw it too.

"Wait, you mean go back there to stay?" Arthur asked, bravery fading.

"Wimp," Morgan taunted without looking at him.

"I-I'm not a wimp! I could face them again," Arthur insisted. He'd faced wor... Actually, no, Charming and his little rebellion weren't worse. They were nothing to high school.

"Prove it," Dagonet challenged, winking.

"I will!" Arthur defied, frowning. "Shrek, take me to school!"

"What?" the three animals and Shrek asked in disbelief.

"Oh splendid. I shall bid you a farewell then," Merlin declared.

Eyes widening, everyone spun to face Merlin. "Don't!" they all cried out as he began to chant a spell. All at once they were teleported away!

KAK

Suddenly they found themselves in front of the gates of Worcestershire. They all desperately checked over themselves for any mistakes. Satisfied nothing had been misplaced, they sighed in relief. Arthur gasped and paled, looking up at the entrance. He swallowed. "Worcestershire Academy, the bane of my existence," he said.

"Well, _that_ was easy," Shrek said, surprised at the relative tameness of the voyage.

"Great, now it'll take forever to get back to Far, Far Away," Big Bad Wolf grumbled.

"Well then, we'd better get started," Donkey declared.

"Adios Arthur, Kay, Dagonet, Morgan," Puss said, bowing.

"Wait, you're just _leaving_ me?" Arthur asked.o

Shrek winced and turned back to Arthur apologetically. "Look, kid, you've got this. We believe in you, right boys?" Shrek said.

"We do?" Wolf asked. Donkey subtly kicked him. He yelped. "I mean sure!" Big Bad covered before snarling at Donkey threateningly.

"You'll be fine," Donkey said, grinning at Arthur.

"Just do not be you, senor. I mean do be you! Just... not you?" Puss said, trying to figure out the right words to explain what he meant. Arthur looked crestfallen. Yeah, he was used to not being good enough as himself too. Puss winced, realizing immediately he'd said everything wrong. "I did not mean it like that, your majesty," he muttered.

"Yeah. Sure," Arthur replied, looking down.

"Oh come one kid, he probably just meant don't shut yourself down or be, well..." Shrek began.

"Such a loser?" Arthur asked.

"No! Don't try to be a loner. It's not like you need to do it all by yourself. I mean, you got your siblings and jester now, right?" Shrek quickly said. Ugh, fragile teen egos. That wasn't a stage he was looking forward to dealing with. Arthur looked unconvinced and more than a little disappointed they weren't sticking around. "Look, what else can we do here Artie? I mean, we got you here, didn't we? Just be yourself, forget everything else. So long, kid. We'll see you at the coronation. Good luck." Arthur sadly watched them leave.

"So, you going to show us around or what?" Dagonet asked, turning to Arthur. Arthur groaned, rolling his eyes, then walked inside. Dagonet, Kay, and Morgan followed.

KAK

As they passed the last few places on Arthur's mental list of locations worth mentioning, Arthur named them each. "The Elementary Wing, the High School Wing, the College and University Wing, the banquet hall, the theatre, the auditorium, the Grand Hall, the houses and dorms… And last but not least, here is the field. The jock hangout, if you will," Arthur boredly and bitterly narrated, waving his hand to it. "Now for the countdown."

"Countdown to what?" Dagonet questioned.

"Three, two, one…" Arthur counted, ignoring the question.

"Well, well, look who's come crawling back! So much for being free and ruling the free world, huh loser?" a voice called.

"Lancelot," Arthur bitterly said. "And here it goes." Dagonet, Morgan, and Kay looked curiously over.

A group of four teens strode up to the trio boastfully, heads high. With them was a black-haired child who apparently shared Morgan's affinity for all things dark, or had a parent who did. He was perched on the shoulders of one of the four teens, his head bowed and eyes glowering. Arthur frowned coldly at them, hunching his shoulders in the same manner the little boy was doing. Morgan looked curious, Kay was summing them up, and Dagonet seemed excited. One of the four, dark-haired and tanned, walked right up to Arthur and got him in a headlock, noogying him. "Look boys, it's our favourite little buddy, Arthur! How's kingship working for you?" he asked.

Arthur struggled from the other's grasp, pushing him away. Sarcastically he replied, "Ha, ha, oh good one, Lance. I see you're as sharp as ever."

Lancelot started then smirked, recovering himself. "No, you think? Kingship hasn't made you any brighter, I see," he insulted. An icy smile that had no business being on a child's lips played across the little boy's face. Two of the other three teenagers laughed. The third teenager, on whose shoulders the small child was perched, did nothing.

Arthur scowled then turned to his companions. "Dagonet, Kay, Morgan, my tormentors. Tormenters, Dagonet my Court Jester, Kay my foster brother, and Morgan le Fay my half-sister," he introduced.

"Your tormenters have names, Arthur," one of the boys sarcastically said. He was, in fact, the hall monitor who had stopped Shrek, Puss, and Donkey from entering the gym on their initial arrival at Worcestershire.

Arthur scowled. "I was getting there, Gareth," he replied. Gareth scoffed, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "Dagonet, Kay, Morgan, meet Gareth, Gawain, Lancelot du Lac, and Alymere. The creepy emogoth kid is Mordred, the little Dragon in the Cave." Mordred just glared from under long dark bangs.

"You just make that one up?" Gareth nipped.

"Gareth's getting defensive because he, Gawain, and Mordred are brothers," Arthur said, ignoring Gareth.

"And you really can't think of a reason they all dislike you?" Dagonet flatly asked. The one named Alymere covered his mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Heck if I know," Arthur replied, shrugging. Dagonet grimaced, nearly facepalming, but refrained. He knew little about Arthur's school life beyond the general 'it was hell' the king usually answered with, after all, so for all _he_ knew, Arthur was lashing out at them because they'd been the initial instigators of this whole thing. In fact, that was probably exactly how it was playing out. After all, he'd never known Arthur to be overtly petty without reason. "Alymere's just a tagalong," Arthur continued.

"S'up," Alymere greeted, offering his hand to Dagonet.

Dagonet looked at it then smirked. "Old joy spikes trick? Cute but outdated," he said.

Alymere started and grinned. "I _like_ this guy!" he immediately said. "Tell me, what would you suggest? Dagonet, wasn't it?"

"And you're Alymere. To answer your question, the joy spikes are good, but do it with a little flare, man. The handshaking is too clichéd," Dagonet said.

"I'm all ears," Alymere replied.

"Allow me to teach you my trade secrets. Court Jester's exclusive," Dagonet said.

"And I'll share a few tricks of my own in turn. I'm always up for a joke now and then," Alymere said. "I'm a pretty laid-back kind of guy, but hey, what's life without a little fun?"

"Couldn't agree more," Dagonet said, leading Alymere off.

"Hey, what the…? Dagonet, get back here! You're _my_ jester! I forbid you from making friends with one of my tormentors! Dagonet!" Arthur called, put out at this series of events. Dagonet and Alymere were long gone by then, though. "He's so fired," Arthur growled under his breath before turning back to the others.

KAK

Lancelot summed Kay and Morgan up. Goth girl was hot, plain and simple. "Damn Arthur, you never told us your sister was so fine," Lancelot said, winking flirtatiously at Morgan. Kay for his part looked well built, perfect for any number of sports teams. Dagonet had hit it off with Alymere, it seemed, so Lancelot wouldn't overanalyze that one. If Alymere liked him, he was probably worth observing. "And Kay and Morgan are your family? You're joking, right?" Lancelot asked.

Morgan's gaze was cold. "Well then you must be blind. Why else would it be so hard for you to believe that he and I are flesh and blood? We even look alike. We're both blond, see?" she challenged, holding up a lock of hair.

Arthur's eyes hardened. "Yeah! What she said. I'm serious, Lance. They're my half-sister and foster brother! Kay is Mr. Ector's son, and Morgan and I shared the same mother." Whoever that was, he inwardly added.

Lancelot scoffed and turned to Kay. "I remember you from a while back. You hang out with this lame dweeb? You can do better than that. Why not join _our_ group? You'd be one heck of an asset to the jousting team," he said to him.

"Well…" Kay began.

"Kay!" Arthur whined.

"Look Artie, I reenrolled here so I could get some new experiences and be around dad. Distance learning wasn't cutting it. I needed to be on campus again! I was going to try out for a team anyway," Kay replied. "We both needed the support after you disappeared anyway."

"But, but…" Arthur began.

Ignoring him, Kay turned to the three other young men with a smile and offered his hand to Lancelot to shake, saying, "Sign me up." Seriously he added, "But for your sake, I hope you don't expect me to help torment my brother."

"Ooh, that's going to be hard. See, it's a kind of initiation. For you to get in, you need to target good old Artie. Don't worry; he's a good sport, right Arthur?" Lancelot said, pounding Arthur on the back and causing him to fall with a grunt of pain.

Kay's eyes hardened. "In that case…" he began.

All at once, a voice cried, "Kay, is it really you?!"

Kay looked over with a gasp. His eyes lit up. "Bedivere!" he exclaimed, turning to meet the other young man.

"Kay, it's been ages!" Bedivere said with a laugh, seizing Kay in a bear hug.

"You know each other?" Lancelot asked.

"Of course! Kay's been my best friend for _years_ ," Bedivere replied, arm slung around his old friend. "Missed you when you went to study abroad, man!"

"Hold on, you're best friends with one of the top jousters in the _school_?" Arthur exclaimed to Kay, as shocked as Lancelot. Bedivere was skilled and he was huge. He was rivalled in height and muscle only by a choice few, Kay and an apprentice blacksmith in the school named Bleoberis being among them. You didn't want to get on Bedivere's bad side, but he didn't have much of a bad side to get _on_. If you were on it, you'd screwed up massively somewhere.

"Uh, yeah," Kay said as if it were obvious.

"Are you joining the jousting team?" Bedivere asked.

Kay frowned. "Well I was, but then Lancelot informed me of an initiation," he replied.

"What, to beat up Arthur?" Bedivere scoffed. "It's no big... Oh..." he said, as if just remembering something. "Dude, I totally forgot he was your brother!"

"Ah ha, you told him about me!" Arthur said to Kay. Turning to Bedivere, he added, "I _knew_ there was a reason you toned down the bullying!"

"Hey, I don't turn on my friends. Unlike some people. Cough, cough, Mordred," Bedivere replied. Mordred sneered at him. Looking at Kay, Bedivere added, "Forget the initiation. Welcome to the jousting team."

"What?!" Gareth demanded. "You're just going to drop a time-honoured tradition like this? You, sir, are a bane to your fellow jousters!"

"Enough!" Lancelot suddenly intervened. The others looked at him in surprise. Calming down once more, he said, "If Bedivere wants Kay in, we let him in."

"But…" Gareth began.

"Quiet! Not like the jousting team involves you anyway, prep," Lancelot bit. Gareth started and scowled. Lance turned to Kay. "Like Bedivere said, welcome."

"Gawain, say something," Mordred ordered his and Gareth's brother, a black haired young man with a ponytail who was often seen at Lancelot's side and had remained quiet throughout everything thus far, not even laughing when the others had. "He's your best friend. He'll _listen_ to you."

"First words you say and they're to spite me," Arthur deadpanned, glaring at the boy. Mordred frowned at him darkly.

Gawain shrugged. "I have nothing to say. Believe me, if I did I would," he answered.

"You're supposed to support us. We're your brothers," Mordred argued. More tried to manipulate.

"Takes after Agravaine and you, I see," Arthur sneered at Gareth. Gareth sneered back.

"I wouldn't beat _you_ two up for some initiation into a team," Gawain defended, eyes hardening firmly. Mordred and Gareth were about to argue, but paused. There was nothing to be said to that, after all. Gawain wouldn't.

KAK

Just then Bedivere noticed Morgan. "Oh, this must be the girl you talked about, Kay. The one you say is like a sister to you? Why would you choose to see her that way, again?" he asked, nudging Kay with a teasing grin. What guy in his right mind was in close contact with a girl like that and _willingly_ wanted to see her as a sister instead of putting the moves on her? "Hey, aren't _you_ a beauty?"

"Sorry," she replied with a cold and bitter smirk. "I'm taken." She flashed a ring on her finger and Arthur's mouth dropped.

"What? When did _this_ happen? How come _I_ never knew?!" Arthur demanded.

"Two reasons. One, I didn't care to boast it up and it happened a while ago anyway. Two, I didn't think it would matter," Morgan replied.

"Well who's the guy?!" Arthur exclaimed.

"King Uriens of Gore," she answered, grimacing.

Arthur blinked blankly. What? "King Uriens?" Arthur repeated. Morgan nodded, subtly biting her lower lip in the first show of nervousness she'd displayed yet, feeling herself being put on the spot. "You're with _Uriens_? But the guy is a total creep! Morgan, why didn't you tell me? I could have done something! I could have stopped it!" Arthur exclaimed. What was she even doing marrying so young in the first place? Yeah, she was older than him, but not by a whole lot. Even Lancelot grimaced at the mention of the name Uriens. Uriens was a piece of work for sure. Or had been. One of the preppiest of the preppy in Worcestershire. Considered himself an elite. High position on the student board, a crown-prince-now-king, and an actual theatre star. No small-time amateur either, a big-time professional. He hadn't seen Uriens for a while though, not since he'd taken his dad's throne, so maybe he'd gotten better?

A smirk parted Morgan's lips. "You know, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I mean I'm not thrilled with it, but I'm not broken up about it either. It has its perks," she said.

"Who is Uriens?" Mordred asked. He was answered the next second when they heard two shrieks.

The group all turned to see three girls there. "Guinevere," Arthur said in a dreamy tone. And Tiffany and Elaine, but he wasn't really focused on them.

"How does your brother think he has a shot?" Bedivere muttered to Kay. Kay grimaced, saying nothing.

"Uriens? You mean, like, King Uriens of Gore?! You're _dating_ him?" one girl demanded of Morgan, the one named Tiffany.

" _The_ Uriens of Gore, the great King and star?" another girl insisted, pushing passed Gwen.

"Down Elaine," Gwen said, rolling her eyes and pushing her friend back lightly.

"I've told you a million times, Gwen, call me Ellen! I hate the name Elaine!" the girl, Elaine, angrily said.

"Elaine's a fine name. You're beautiful, Ellen," Lancelot flirted. Elaine harrumphed with a blush.

"Now, details," Tiffany demanded of Morgan. Usually their friend group would have next to nothing to do with freaks like this girl, but in her case an exception had to be made. This was huge.

"Is he like he is in his plays and stuff?" Elaine pressed.

Morgan looked at them in open disgust. She'd never liked popular girls like these. Resolving herself to her fate, though, she rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll humor you kittens," she relented. Maybe she could sneak in a spell on them when their guard was down. _That_ would be fun.

Gwen frowned, put off by the attitude. She'd never trusted Morgan and never would, something about her rang as false as false could be, but Elaine and Tiffany remained enthusiastic. "Tell us, tell us, tell us," Tiffany pled.

"Yes, he's like he is in his plays. And more," Morgan replied. "And I'm all his."

Elaine and Tiffany shrieked in delight. "Come on! We've got, like, a ton of stuff to talk about," Elaine insisted as she and Tiffany took Morgan's hands.

"Totally," Tiffany agreed, leading the appalled looking girl off with Elaine. Gwen stared after them in disbelief then scowled, following. You could all but feel the tension between her and Morgan, who was glaring almost tauntingly back at her now.

"So long Arthur, Kay, Dagonet!" Morgan called. Maybe buddying up with Elaine and Tiffany wouldn't be so bad after all, if it got under Guinevere's skin. She'd always been good at integrating.

"I can't believe you're related to that geek Artie," Elaine said.

"Kay is cute though," Tiffany pitched in as the two led Morgan off with Gwen trailing guardedly behind.

"Artie's not bad," Morgan defended half-heartedly, shrugging.

KAK

Arthur groaned. Great. His siblings and Dagonet of all people—he _knew_ it was a bad idea to even think about trusting anyone—had been absorbed into two of the principal cliques that tormented him to no end. Maybe he could crawl into a hole and die. "Well Arthur, now that you're back we can have _lots_ of fun together, right? Wedgies, noggin rubs, pantsing's, the works," Lancelot said, smirking cruelly.

"Oh yeah?!" Arthur demanded.

"Yeah! I'm going to make your life…" Lancelot began.

Just then, however, he was cut off by a voice calling, "Lancelot, hey Lance, what do you want me to do with these?!"

"Huh?" Lancelot asked as they all turned in the direction of the voice.

Up jogged another boy carrying an armful of swords. Two others ran behind him. One of those others was Bohort, another of Lancelot's constant companions, who seemed to be sporting a much lighter build these days. Wow, he'd lost a lot of weight. Arthur couldn't be bothered to wonder why. Lancelot gasped, straightening up and calling sharply, "Hector, what do you think you're doing?! Drop those!"

Hector slid to a halt with a confused frown. "Huh, why?"

"Because I say so! If you tripped you could kill yourself!" Lancelot barked.

Hector frowned and replied, "Well you told me to get them! Besides, you promised to help me, Lionel, and Bohort…"

"Please don't call me that. Just use Bors," Bohort said, rolling his eyes. That was another change, Arthur inwardly noted. A pretty recent change too, given he'd only been gone six months thereabouts.

"Sorry," Hector replied before turning back to Lancelot. "You promised to help me, Lionel, and Bors with our fighting technique. Stop being so paranoid. For pete's sake, Lance, I'm old enough to handle it!"

"Are you serious?" Lancelot demanded with a scoff.

"I'm _older_ than what most squires start at!" Hector insisted. "Look, I'm capable of fighting with a sword and have been for years."

"Really Lance, you should see him fight!" Bors backed.

"He might be even better than _you_ when he gets older," the youngest one, Lionel—he was Bors's younger brother—declared confidently.

"See?" Hector boasted proudly. "Our cousins agree! And FYI, I know the safety procedures for handling weapons."

"Hey, Bohort can't judge a _race_ , and Lionel is way out of the Kingball Court," Lancelot defended. "Now give me those, baby brother!"

"Wait, cousins? Baby brother?" Arthur said aloud. How had he not heard about this before? It wasn't like Lancelot had ever been secretive, right? Gawain gave him a look that warned him to stay quiet and wait for the appropriate time for his questions to be answered. Arthur frowned but obeyed with a roll of his eyes all too reminiscent of Gareth, Gawain noted.

"Fine," Hector sulked. "You promised," he insisted, handing them to Lancelot.

"Unfortunately. Let's get this over with, pest," Lancelot growled.

"Let's go," Hector insisted, grinning knowingly.

"All right!" Lionel cheered.

"This'll be fun," Bors said. The three hurried off quickly.

KAK

"Humph. Since when does the great Lance care about a lowly underclassman?" Arthur demanded of the jock with a sarcastic lilt. "Heck, since when do you keep promises to your future victims?"

Lancelot glared at him once more, but this time it wasn't threatening. His eyes were dark, serious, and decidedly not Lance. Arthur tensed up. In a solemn tone, Lancelot replied, "Since that underclassman brat of a half-brother was dumped on me to raise."

Arthur started. "Wha…?" he asked in shock. Kay looked surprised. Lancelot just shook his head and walked off.

Gawain stepped forward. "A lot has changed since you left, Arthur," he said. Arthur looked at him curiously.

"Well, let's get back to practicing for the dumb combat test coming up," Gareth said.

"Lancelot is getting weak," Mordred stated in a chilling voice.

"Hey, it's his brother! Back off! What else could he do? At least Hector will _have_ a caretaker!" Arthur heatedly defended. The others looked at him in shock. He instantly realized what he'd done. "Wait, did I just defend _Lancelot_? Eww."

"This is getting to be like the Faerie Zone. Let's get out of here," Gareth said.

"Yeah," Mordred agreed.

"Why is that kid even here instead of the Elementary Wing?" Kay questioned.

"He's sick," Gareth simply said with a shrug, heading off with is brother.

"He doesn't _look_ sick," Arthur muttered under his breath. He was of the opinion Mordred was probably just ditching. Whatever. Like he cared.

"I'll catch up in a minute," Gawain told his brothers.

"Whatever," Gareth replied, waving as he brought Mordred to the field to practice. He'd have to be pretty careful with the kid, but this was a big day for Mordred and the other elementary wingers.

"Right. Come on Kay, let's get you suited up and give you a rundown of the basics," Bedivere said.

"Lead on, Bedivere," Kay replied with a smile. Just like that, the only two left were Gawain and Arthur.

KAK

Arthur noticed Gawain ponderously looking at him. He sighed. "All right, let's get this over with. A swirly, or will you run me up the flag post again?" he asked. Gawain said nothing, just stared. Arthur frowned curiously. "Well?" he asked. "What are you waiting for? I'm at your mercy. Can't you do _anything_ without Lancelot leading you?"

Gawain looked towards Lancelot, who was fighting Hector, Bors, and Lionel and giving them pointers. He looked back to Arthur only to see _him_ watching as well. After a time he finally said, "You have to admit, the flagpole was funny." Arthur scowled at him. Gawain sighed. "In my defense, it wasn't me who orchestrated or carried it out. That was Agravaine. I just took the fall for him. He would have been suspended otherwise. The guy's my brother. I couldn't let that happen." Gawain paused. After a moment, he continued. "When Hector's mother died, it took a huge toll on Lance. He may seem like a total creep, but he _is_ capable of feeling. Lady de Maris may not have been Lancelot's birth mother, but, well, his birth mother hasn't been his mother for a very, very, very long time now… She never got over his father's disappearance. Death. Whatever. She didn't get over the trauma that led up to it, or the trauma that followed after either. Lady de Maris was close to Lance, so when she passed he was stunned. And poor Hector…"

"I can relate," Arthur quietly said. "It must have been one heck of an inconvenience for Lance to have his half-brother dumped on him. He'd have to give up some of his oh so important social life."

"See, _now_ I'm resisting the urge to hurt you," Gawain coldly warned.

"What? I'm only saying the truth!" Arthur defended.

"Don't speak about things you don't know anything about, Arthur! That's _not_ the mark of a king!" Gawain barked.

"Oh, so _now_ you believe I'm a king?" Arthur demanded.

"It would be easier if you started _acting_ like it," Gawain stated. "Then maybe Lancelot and I wouldn't be the only two to buy it. And we certainly would take you more seriously."

After getting over the shock of hearing that Lancelot and Gawain believed him, Arthur shot, "Hey, back off! You have no idea what's happened since I left, okay? None! _I'm_ not the same guy either, whether you believe it or not." He was trying to improve! Kind of.

Gawain scoffed. Ignoring the remark, he answered, "For your information, when Lancelot said Hector was dumped on him, he was lying."

"What?" Arthur asked.

"Lady de Maris never made a will, Artie. Lance could hardly function after her death, but he snapped out of his funk on hearing Hector would be sent to a new family. Lancelot couldn't lose him, so of his own accord he took an assumed name, disguised himself as his uncle, and gained custody of Hector," Gawain said.

"His Uncle? You mean Sir Bors?" Arthur asked. King Bors was Bors the Younger and Lionel's father, he knew. "Why didn't he just ask his uncle to do it _for_ him?"

"Because he didn't want to heap anything more onto his Uncle's already full plate," Gawain answered. "When Lancelot's birth mother learned what he'd done, she was furious. But Lance didn't care. He wouldn't give up Hector. For that he was disinherited, along with his brother, and forced to do things he never should have had to. Like become an adult overnight. He's only a kid, Artie."

"He-he _chose_ to have him?" Arthur asked, officially shocked.

"It's hard to believe that bullies have hearts too, isn't it? Yeah. He chose it. He gave up what was left of his youth to protect his half-brother. It's affected his image around school pretty bad. It's still affecting it to this day. I mean come on, the most respected jock in all Worcestershire, a bully even, Lancelot du Lac, he who spared no one including his cousins, did something as out of character as to take in his orphaned _half-brother_? He's lucky his image isn't shattered. He's lost more respect around school than he's okay with, but he's holding onto what's left with all he has. Whether _you_ believe it or not, he's probably thanking the gods that you've come back. Of everyone here, you're the only one besides me who doesn't treat him any different. In a sense, I could say you're his saviour," Gawain said.

"At _my_ expense!" Arthur protested.

"Gawain!" Gareth called from the field. He and Mordred were waiting.

Gawain sighed then looked at Arthur. "Welcome back, Artie," he said.

Arthur was startled. "Uh, thanks?" he replied. Wait, a member of the jousting team was treating him _civilly_. He had just had an actual conversation with one and hadn't been humiliated. Sure, Gawain had never really had much of a part in bullying him—he hardly ever stepped in unless things were getting too rough, and usually he joined in laughing at his expense instead—but Gawain hadn't exactly been nice to him either, often backing Lance, so yeah. Okay, maybe the guy wasn't one of the worst bullies, per se, but that wasn't the point! Gawain walked off with a wave, Arthur watching after him, stunned. "Holy crap," he said, finally digesting all that Gawain had told him of Lancelot, as well as the cordial way in which the jouster had treated him.


	4. Settling In

Settling In

"Holy crap," Arthur repeated to himself around first break, as he stood on the edge of the field gawking at the practicing jousting team.

"Still stuck on that? Even now?" Dagonet asked, leaning against a wall. Arthur had filled him in on all he and Gawain had talked about. He'd filled in Kay and Morgan too, which had semi-backfired on him as Kay was suddenly trying to get friendlier with Lancelot. Morgan hadn't seemed to really care either way and had just told him to get over it.

"You don't know them like I do, Dagonet! It's just… holy crap…" Arthur said.

Dagonet smirked. "Hey, I have an idea. Try having an open mind, Arthur, and realizing you don't know your tormentors as well as you thought you did. Believe it or not, people can change. Wouldn't kill you to drop some of the cynicism and start thinking beyond just you," he said as the bell rang.

"Let's go," Arthur said, scoffing. Dagonet sighed. It was like Arthur hadn't even heard that last part. Fine, whatever. He'd keep trying to drive the point home in other ways. It would probably be easier just to give up on him, though. He was tempted to. Nonetheless, he followed Arthur towards the main building, the King still obviously bowled over.

Suddenly a voice cried, "Arthur!" Before Arthur could even look up, he was crushed in a powerful embrace.

He gasped for air, choking. "Can't. Breathe," he sputtered out.

He was instantly released. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry my boy," the man who had crushed him in a hug said.

Arthur looked back with a gasp. His expression eased. "Pellinore! I mean, Vice-Principal Pellinore!" Arthur exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Principal now, actually. Pynchly 'retired'. Not necessarily willingly," Pellinore said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"You of course remember the day that ogre came for you in the gym and Pynchly chanted for it to eat you, rather than doing his job of trying to protect you?" Pellinore said. Arthur looked angrily down. Oh, he remembered clearly. "When word of the incident got to your foster father on his return, Ector raised particular hell and didn't let up until Pynchly was forced into early retirement. He didn't exactly have a choice _but_ to leave, with Sir Meliot's sword against his throat. _Someone_ had to make sure he went. And Arthur, though I may be your principal now, you can still call me Pellinore. None of that King or Sir or Principal stuff. I'm annoyed enough with it," he said. "I take it you've seen your old friends?"

"Enemies apparently," Dagonet corrected for Arthur with a smirk. Pellinore looked at the other boy and chuckled.

"Call them friends again, I dare you," Arthur grumbled.

"You could cut them some slack, Arthur. Especially given the situation with Hector and Lancelot. I think _he_ at least is working towards redemption, don't you?" Pellinore asked.

"Yeah, Lancelot didn't seem that bad," Dagonet agreed.

"I like this kid. One of our newcomers, are you? And you would be…?" Pellinore asked.

"Dagonet, court jester and jokester," Dagonet answered, smirking.

"Then you've probably met Alymere. He makes it a point to seek out jokers," Pellinore said, smiling.

"Oh yeah," Dagonet replied, eyes glittering mischievously. In fact, they'd been causing havoc all morning. On the sly, of course.

"We're pleased to have you as a new student, Dagonet," Pellinore said.

"Can we get back to the subject at hand? Namely Lance. Family is family, Pellinore. It's not like Lancelot du Lac cares about redeeming himself to his victims, so thanks but no thanks on the forgiving him thing," Arthur said. He paused, frowning slightly as a ponderous look came to his eyes. He grimaced, shifting. "Um, sir, don't treat Lance any different, please. He doesn't want that. At least according to Gawain he doesn't."

"I suppose you're right. But why are we standing here chatting? Ector will be overjoyed to see you, my boy," Pellinore said. "We have some exciting news about your coronation. Come, I'll escort you and Dagonet there. I have to be present anyway," Pellinore replied.

"Wait, what news?" Arthur asked, as the man led them towards it.

"You'll see," Pellinore mysteriously answered. "Sir Meliot and Sir Ector are waiting for us."

"Ooh, sounds juicy," Dagonet said, grinning.

"It will be," Pellinore assured.

KAK

The next thing Arthur knew, he and Dagonet had been ushered into the line-up of boys in the gym class. "About time," a voice whispered.

Arthur looked over, expression hard and defensive. His became relieved, however, on seeing the person next to him. "Kay, thank goodness it's no one else."

"S'up," Dagonet greeted Kay.

"You're getting into this," Kay said to Dagonet with a smile.

"Are you kidding? This is awesome! I've never actually technically been to school before," Dagonet replied.

"Wait, what?" Arthur asked.

"I'm a servant, Arthur," Dagonet said, tone slightly graver than usual. "Remember? Just the Court Jester? Sure, I have a lot of responsibility and was educated for that, but as far as real school? Nadda."

"Probably for the best you didn't end up here," Arthur grumbled.

"Come on Artie, the guys aren't that bad once you get to know them a bit. At least not so far," Kay defended.

"Oh no, they've got you too," Arthur moaned. Kay rolled his eyes.

King Pellinore and Sir Meliot stood against the wall. In the auditorium were a fair few other boys. "I wonder why they're all here," Kay remarked, ignoring Arthur. "I mean the age range is _huge_. Even Mordred is here. Elementary all the way up to University? That's quite a gap."

"Say for Mordred, we're all in Worcestershire House," Arthur explained in a murmur. "Which means whatever this announcement is, it directly pertains to, well, _us_."

"Ah," Kay said. Just then, from the other side of the gym entered Sir Ector. Arthur felt a smile play across his lips. Ector put on a tough front, but if you could get under that persona he was a softy. The front worked, however. Even Arthur and Kay, who knew him, stiffened up, intimidated by his aura.

"Attendance!" Ector bellowed. Arthur winced. What would Ector's reaction be to his suddenly returning, especially after thinking he was dead? He shifted uneasily and moved behind Kay and Dagonet, out of sight of his foster father. Kay didn't chastise him for it, which meant he was probably unsure too. Everything went quiet. You could hear a pin drop. Ector looked over them then paced in front of the group. He didn't say a word, only scanning the faces. He had their names down pat, committed to memory. He didn't need to speak to see they were all here. As he looked them each over, he nodded. Reaching the end of his mental list he frowned. There were extra? He looked at them and stopped, startled. "Son?" he said.

"Hey dad," Kay greeted, enveloping the man in a hug.

"Kay, what are you doing here?" Ector asked as he embraced him, happy to see his boy.

Kay pulled away, answering, "I wanted to come back here. Distance learning was kind of making me feel alone. I missed you. And Arthur and Morgan too. And Bedivere." A flash of sadness crossed Ector's face at the mention of Arthur.

"Kay, I never knew you felt that way," Bedivere teasingly said.

"You wish," Kay teased back. He turned to his father. "I wanted to spend more time together."

Ector smiled ruefully. "You've spent your whole life with me, son," he said.

"And that's exactly why I wanted to come back. I mean, you and Arthur and Worcestershire were my world. Guess I wasn't ready to give that all up just yet, especially after you told me that… that he'd gone missing," Kay said. The sadness was in Ector's face again and Kay cringed, feeling slightly guilty for letting Arthur hide. "I know one day I'll have to, but I don't want to rush that day. Besides, now that Arthur's in charge of Far Far Away, he could use as many extra eyes watching him as possible."

"Wait, what?" Ector asked, straightening up. Kay waved his hand behind him, and Ector looked. From behind Kay and Dagonet stepped Arthur, looking sheepish. Ector's expression filled with relief. "Arthur, you're alright! I was worried sick for you!" he exclaimed, pulling an embarrassed Arthur into a crushing embrace. "Gods I've missed you, son. I was afraid I'd never see you again," he confessed, attempting to veil the pain in his voice as he drew back and gently smoothed back his foster child's hair, scanning him for signs of injury or ill-treatment.

"I-I missed you too, Ector. I mean, dad. I'm sorry I never wrote to let you know I was okay. It just slipped my mind with everything that happened. I mean, I have so much to tell you," Arthur said, growing excited.

"We'll have all the time in the world this time, I promise," Sir Ector replied, grinning gently.

Arthur grinned back. "Um, what's this big announcement Sir Pellinore hinted at? And why is only Worcestershire House here instead of the whole school if it's that large?" he questioned.

"Because it's Worcestershire House that will be helping with the arrangements for your coronation, which, students, will in fact take placed in our very own Worcestershire at Queen Lillian's bidding!" Meliot announced. There was a chorus of denials and groans and incredulous expressions of disbelief. Meliot ignored them all. "It's a great honor to this school, and to Worcestershire House in particular. After all, one of your own has become king," Sir Meliot continued.

"Wait, what? What are you implying we're supposed to do?" Lancelot immediately demanded, eyes narrowing. Ector looked equally surprised, so apparently _he_ hadn't even known what the announcement was for.

"Since Arthur's coronation will take place here, and this is where he will draw the sword from the stone again before all the commons and nobles instead of just the school, festivities are in order. After he draws the sword from the stone, there will be no further denying what he is and his transition to the throne will be that much smoother. There will be hundreds and hundreds present. Needless to say, Worcestershire Academy needs to make a truly stunning impression. So consider helping with decorations, setup, and planning your extra credit," Sir Meliot stated.

"Don't _we_ get a say in this?!" a boy named Brunor le Noir demanded.

"No. The term 'extra credit' is misleading. This isn't optional," Meliot answered.

"Great. Now all the teachers are sucking up to the would-be-king," Gareth said.

"Queen Lillian's orders," Pellinore countered, smirking. "Deal with it." All eyes turned to Arthur, narrowed coldly. Arthur tensed and inwardly whimpered, sinking down behind Kay. Oh, he got the bad, bad feeling school life was about to become a living hell.

KAK

Even getting out of the gym was a pain. Every one of them that passed him shoved him roughly or hit him up the back of the head with the exception of a select few. Neither Tristan or Gawain, for instance, could be bothered, though they didn't look at him either. However, Bleoberis, the one who rivaled if not surpassed Bedivere in physique and height, shoved then struck Arthur hard, making him fall against the wall with a wince, biting back a cry of pain. "Hey, back off," Kay sharply warned the blacksmith apprentice. Bleoberis growled, giving him a sneer, and continued walking as Kay glared after him.

"Don't do it man," Bedivere warned, sensing that Kay was ready to go at him. Kay scoffed, backing off. Dagonet offered little more than an apologetic smile to Arthur before catching up with Alymere to make some trouble. Kay and Bedivere wandered off to practice, and Arthur was suddenly acutely aware of how vulnerable he was right now. He grimaced, looking warily around for any sign of bullies that had lingered, and tentatively began to walk.

"Arthur…" a voice said.

"It wasn't my idea, don't hang me from the net!" he instinctively pled, leaping away in alarm with his whole body tensing up as he prepared for an attack. On seeing it was Ector, he started. "O-Oh, d-dad, I mean Ector! Uh, you didn't hear that," he said.

Ector looked concerned and Arthur winced, looking down. "Arthur, are you alright?" Ector asked.

"Who? Me? I'll be fine," Arthur replied, shifting uneasily.

"You don't have to be afraid of them," Ector said.

"Afraid? Me? Pfft, yeah right. I mean… it's not like I'm not used to it anyway, even if they _are_ dumb enough to try something," Arthur replied. "Hey, I could just have them executed after all."

"I hope to the gods you don't abuse your power like that," Ector replied.

"If they're a threat to the king, they're a threat to the king," Arthur grumbled, folding his arms sulkily.

"You know what I mean, son," Ector said. Arthur was quiet. "You don't have to be afraid," Ector soon repeated. "I'll be here for you. Always. If something happens, or if you feel threatened, come to me. I'll protect you."

"Yeah, because having my foster father protect me will _really_ build up my street cred," Arthur replied with a grimace.

"It isn't a weakness to ask for help against forces you can't stand to alone," Ector said.

"I can stand to them just fine! I've survived _so_ far," Arthur answered.

"And now that you're king, 'so far' isn't going to cut it," Ector replied.

"I'm not king to _them_ ," Arthur replied. He wondered if they'd believe it even if he _did_ pull out Caliburn in front of them yet again. It hadn't swayed them the first time, after all.

"Come with me, Arthur," Ector said. Arthur didn't move. "Son," Ector warned. Arthur looked up at him hopelessly then sighed, coming up alongside him.

KAK

For a while they walked in silence. "Where are we going?" Arthur finally asked.

"Don't you know?" Ector replied. Arthur looked around and clenched his jaw. He had a feeling. Sure enough, soon they were approaching the lonely stone and anvil sitting in the courtyard. Arthur stopped, staring at it. Ector stopped with him. "Go to it," the teacher commanded. Again, Arthur didn't move. "Go," Ector said a second time. Arthur was still. Finally he approached the blade, admiring it reverently. "Pull the sword from the stone," Ector said.

"Ector, I…" Arthur began.

"Pull the sword from the stone," Ector repeated.

Arthur stared at it a long moment. Soon he took hold. He wondered if it would even withdraw for him anymore. Thus far he hadn't been doing great as king. Maybe it would just decide he was as much a loser as others thought and decide to stay put. He closed his eyes, pulling it and honestly not expecting it to move. But it did. With a metallic swoosh, it slid out like nothing was even there. Arthur opened his eyes, gazing at the sword and holding it in front of his face. The words branded in the metal glistened in the sunlight and he swallowed.

Ector came up to him and gently drew his fingers over the letters. "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise King, born of all England," he softly quoted. Well, king of the Britons or Britannia, more accurately. Arthur looked up at him woefully. Ector smiled reassuringly. "And you'll be a great one," he promised.

Arthur looked back at the sword. "I don't feel ready," he finally said quietly. "Or worthy... Or _anything_... Why even try if you know you're going to fail?"

"You don't get to judge yourself," Ector answered. "You are King, my son. You are the true High King. No one can change that. Soon they'll all see and know that you're worthy. And I hope that in time _you_ come to realize you're worthy of it too." Arthur hugged him suddenly and tightly. Ector smiled, holding him gently back and rocking him, rubbing his back reassuringly.

KAK

"I've obtained the help of one of our students to aid in setting up the schedule for the coronation," Pellinore said as he led Arthur through the school. All around, students were helping get things ready for the coronation. Arthur winced at the dirty looks he was shot, and the sneers, and focused on Pellinore.

"Oh, really? Who?" Arthur asked.

"One of our most studious. He knows the ins and outs of courtly duties, and the protocols of Far Far Away. No one better to arrange it," Pellinore said. "He'd be of use to you."

"I'm not hiring," Arthur replied.

Pellinore smiled. "Think about it," he replied. He looked around. "Ah, there. Lucan, come here please!" he called.

Arthur stiffened. "Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "I'm out." He tried to walk away but Pellinore held him back. Arthur winced and turned with a frown. Great. The school geek and grade A, triple A, teacher's pet. _This_ would go over well.

"Behave," Pellinore warned. Arthur sighed in exasperation and straightened up, trying not to look so sulky.

"You called, sir?" the boy, Lucan, said.

"You're in charge of the scheduling, no? Run through it with Arthur would you please? I have to make sure whispers aren't spreading," Pellinore said.

"Oh, they are. They're none too impressed with our… 'king'," Lucan said, pausing long enough to give Arthur a disdainful and dubious once over.

"You know what? Shove it up your…" Arthur began.

"Boys," Pellinore warned. They winced, backing down. "Try not to get at each other's throats please." He shook his head, walking away.

Lucan sighed and turned to Arthur doubtfully. "Right, let us commence to discussing your itinerary, shall we?" he said.

"Whatever Lucan," Arthur replied. "Lay it on me."

"First there'll be the gathering in the courtyard so everyone can see you're not a sham when you pull the sword from the stone. Hopefully."

"You saw me do it before, you know I can!" Arthur shot.

"I saw you pull _a_ sword," Lucan replied.

"After others failed!" Arthur defended.

"A show," Lucan said.

"Because Pynchly and Primbottom liked me enough to put on a show," Arthur replied with a sneer. Now Lucan was just playing dumb.

"That's what we'll figure out soon enough. After you've withdrawn the sword and the people are satisfied, you'll be put upon a horse or inside of a carriage and be brought up to the Mountain of Kings, where you will then kneel overlooking all your lands, and be officially coronated. The sword will be presented for you to hold out over the land. Don't forget to step in the marking on the ground before holding it out. After you've done so, then lay it on an altar in front of Sir Baudwin. It's a solemn and grave occasion. Treat it as such and don't be an imbecile."

"Who do you think I am, Lance?" Arthur asked.

A smirk pulled at Lucan's mouth before he hid it again. "After that you will be returned to Worcestershire where the feast will commence. There they shall doeth you service, and petitions shall be made unto you which thou wilt delegate accordingly. Show them you're a man of your word and such. Or just make false promises. Whatever works for you," he said.

" _You're_ cynical," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes. Not that he was one to talk.

"After the feast and the promise making, or breaking, you'll swear unto thine lords and commons for to be a true king, yadda, yadda, yadda, you get the picture. After which the ceremony will be brought to a close and boom, you're king. Got all that?" Lucan asked.

"More or less," Arthur replied.

"More, more than less, I should hope," Lucan said.

"You have this planning thing down," Arthur had to admit.

"Of course I do," Lucan answered. "Here's your copy. If I make any amendments you'll be among the first to know, and I shall get you a revised edition at that time. Long story short, do what I say, follow the directions of the teachers and your aunt, behave, and you won't make a mockery of the crown."

"Don't worry about _me_ , Lucan," Arthur equally coldly answered with a frown, snatching the document.

" _Everyone_ should worry about you," Lucan bit.

"At least then I would know that people actually cared," Arthur countered. Lucan's eyes narrowed and he rolled them, scoffing in disgust and walking away. "Geek," Arthur bit.

"Loser," Lucan called back. Arthur glared then looked at the itinerary, sighing. He was getting really nervous. He folded it up and decided to take a walk. He'd offer to help arrange things, but he got the feeling that if he did, he'd regret it. Worcestershire House weren't his biggest fans right now. He'd live longer if he just left them to it. Or maybe helping would get them to like him? Unlikely, he decided, and continued on.

KAK

He was walking through the main yard of the school, heading out to go to the village, when the doors of a carriage banged open. He looked quickly over and grimaced. Oh, the hotboxing twins. Great. Just great. Balan and Balin, he believed their names were. Because their parents were just that creative! Miniscule difference in pronunciation, but enough to distinguish them apart. They looked up. "Artie!" they said together. He wished they wouldn't approach him. He could probably run, not like they could catch him when they were high as kites, but what was the point really?

"You barely even know me," he replied in an equally happy tone. They probably wouldn't catch on it was a passive insult. Why were they so happy to see him anyway? He hadn't even known he'd _existed_ to them, frankly, and he'd barely known _they'd_ existed, so they had no reason to sound so glad he was back. Maybe it was the Frankincense and Myrrh really hitting them.

"Arthur, man, you need to try this stuff," one said. Balin, who of course was the higher one. Balan had always been the more leveled of the twins, generally. This kind of scene was his more his brother's thing than his. It was Balan's thing too, he was just less inclined to put other things on the backburner or waste weekends for it.

"Yeah, no," Arthur replied. "You guys really have nothing better to do with your lives, do you?" he bit.

"What else _is_ there?" Balan replied, snickering.

"Oh I don't know, maybe living?" Arthur shot. "Idiots."

"Living?" Balin asked.

The brothers exchanged looks then grinned. "Living!" they said together, pointing their fingers at one another.

"This _is_ living. I mean, we're breathing, right? Breathing is living!" Balan said.

"If that's what you count as living, you're worse of than I thought you sad, pathetic, bored idiots," Arthur said. They probably wouldn't even know they were being insulted. Hey, he had to work off his pent-up frustrations with his own bullies _somehow_. What was so bad about bullying someone who didn't know they were being bullied? He grimaced at that thought and felt immediately guilty. Maybe he should lay off. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"What for, man? Be savage! Wild," Balan said. "Show your teeth king guy. Rarr!"

"Pfft, king. Yeah, Artie king," Balin said, snickering.

"I'm leaving you now," Arthur flatly said, turning to walk away.

"No, no, no, we're sorry! We're sorry!" they said together.

"Come on, bro, lighten up," Balin said, slinging an arm around him.

"Look, I have things to do that don't involve hopping myself up on plants," Arthur said.

"It's au naturalle," Balin remarked, smirking up at the sky.

"It's au stupide, and that's a lame argument," Arthur answered flatly. Not like other things weren't au naturalle too. At the end of the day, if it affected his mental functioning it was bad for him. But hey, whatever floated their boats. "Buh bye. See you at the coronation," he continued, walking away.

"Coronation? Coronation!" they said together, giggling.

"Hey, it has the word nation in it! You're gonna be king of a nation!" Balan said like it was the greatest revelation ever.

"Far out, man, far out," Arthur replied, flashing peace signs at them as he walked backwards. He turned again and quickly left the main yard. He hoped they'd leave. When instead he heard them following and snickering, he grimaced. He didn't bother sending them off. That would probably be pointless. He could deal with them tagging along for a while. Made him feel less alone, at least.

"So like, dude, that ogre that came and took you man. Sweet," Balin said.

"We thought you were like, so gone," Balan added. "Then it was just wicked, like… wow…"

"Meant to thank you for trying to protect me," Arthur sarcastically bit.

"We tried to…? Oh! Put down. Gotcha," Balin said.

"He said he wasn't going to eat you," Balan defended with a shrug. "No reason not to believe him. He didn't come at anyone while he was here."

"Dude, did he stick around? I mean, that beast was wicked awesome," Balin said, clenching his fists together in excitement.

"Uh… no… No, he left," Arthur replied slightly sadly, looking down. He really wished Shrek had stayed.

"Bummer," Balan said. "Hey, check it. Gawain's hitting on Jessica. Probably sweet talking her into throwing a party at Leodegrance's place. She got a thing for him."

"At Leodegrance's place? I thought Gwen was Cador's ward," Balin replied, confused.

"Nah, man, only when her dad Leodegrance isn't around. Then she's his ward 'cause Cador babysits," Balan said.

"Lucky bast…" Balin began.

"Party!" Balan called out at Gawain and Jessica, the latter of which was playing with Gawain's ponytail. Both of them winced and glared over at the two in annoyance. Gawain rolled his eyes then turned his attentions back to Jessica, smiling again. "Anyway, Cador's not like that, man," Balan continued.

"Far as we know," Balin answered.

"Cador's got a wife and kid," Balan said, shrugging it off. Well, a kid. Wasn't sure if he still had a wife. Of course even if he did, that wasn't necessarily a guarantee he wouldn't put the moves on Gwen, but whatever.

Arthur suddenly froze, catching his breath. The twins looked curiously at him then saw what he was staring at. Gwen was there with three of her friends, Iseult, Tiffany, and Elaine. He sighed, a goofy smile spreading across his face.

"You know, you _could_ talk to her," Balin remarked.

"What's the point?" Arthur asked, smile falling. "She said 'ew', guys. She said 'ew'."

"Sure it was in front of the whole school, but hey, pressure!" Balan said. "Might be more receptive if you catch her alone or at her place."

"Or she might think I'm a stalker," Arthur replied, frowning.

"Pfft, who cares? If you don't have a shot, you don't have a shot. Might as well try," Balin said, shrugging.

"What would I even say?" Arthur asked.

"Get some speech together. You're good at those, and… Oh wow! Bro, bro, the cloud looks like a unicorn!" Balan said, pointing.

"No way, bro, that's a chimera. Hey, hey, what if the clouds are actually made of spun sugar?" Balin answered. Arthur blinked blankly at them, frowned, then rolled his eyes and walked away, throwing his hands up hopelessly. Why had he even tried?


	5. Cyrano de Artie

Cyrano de Artie

(A/N: This chapter is actually taken right from a Shrek the Third concept/deleted scene. Well, part of it is. Figured it was a good scene and deserved to be integrated into the story somehow. I do this for the other deleted concept scenes too with only a few minor changes. This particular deleted scene is the second paragraph. Also, Puss, Donkey, and Shrek return.)

"If Big Bad didn't return to this rat's nest, we're leavin' him behind," Shrek said to Puss and Donkey as the three of them entered Worcestershire again.

"Call of the wild indeed. Ay caramba," Puss grumbled.

"You just lucky you have a hard-hittin' donkey at your back," Donkey said. "That wolf was about to remind you why cats run from dogs."

"And you're both lucky _I_ was there," Shrek said, getting a little annoyed at them.

"Hey look over there, it's Artie! Artie! Hey Artie, over here!" Donkey called out, spotting the kid.

Arthur gasped and turned quickly to look towards them. His eyes widened. "Shrek, Donkey, Puss!" he exclaimed, lighting up and grinning widely. "I thought you guys had left!"

"We did," Shrek replied, obviously unimpressed about something.

"Then ole' Big Bad Wolf heard the call of the wild and decided to go all crazy and killer," Donkey said. "We been lookin' for him. Thought he might have come back here."

"Not only that, senor, but the ogre was concerned for you, as was Donkey," Puss said.

"So was you!" Donkey defended quickly.

"You seemed so very distraught when we left, and so we say to ourselves 'we must return to Worcestershire and help our amigo settle back into school life,' huh?" Puss said.

Arthur grinned and looked passed them. He caught his breath as Gwen's gaze drifted in his direction and his heart skipped a beat, knees going weak. She stared for a moment before turning back to her friends, and Arthur wanted to fall at her feet and beg her to give him a second glance. But, of course, she didn't, and he almost whimpered. Maybe Balin and Balan were onto something, despite their drug induced high.

"Artie?" Shrek asked. "Artie, anyone home?" he pressed, waving a hand in front of his face.

Curiously, Puss followed Arthur's gaze. On seeing what had caught the boy's attention, he smirked wickedly. "Ah… Senor, it is a girl," Puss said, pulling at Shrek's tunic.

Shrek turned curiously with Donkey in time to see her and her friends walking away. " _Her_?" Shrek asked.

"Man, wasn't she the one who snubbed you in front of all them people?" Donkey asked, turning incredulously to Arthur.

"Yeah. Isn't she great?" Arthur asked, looking love struck. Donkey looked dubious and turned to look after Gwen again.

"So much for being distraught," Shrek said. He chuckled, turning back to where Arthur had been, and started. He was gone! Just like that? "Artie?" he said, looking around. "Where'd he go?"

"Where all young men will go, senor, when they are in love," Puss replied. "In pursuit of the girl!"

"Ain't that kinda creepy?" Donkey asked.

Puss glared at him in open disgust. "Come on boss, I will track the boy king," Puss assured. Immediately he set off. Donkey and Shrek exchanged looks then followed.

KAK

It was evening by the time Puss had tracked Arthur down. They'd come into the village and proceeded to find and tail Arthur on the sly all the way to a large house that was either a Worcestershire Academy Sisterhood House or a nobleman's home. Or both. They hid behind a tree, peering out. Donkey fell out from behind it, leaning too far over. Shrek and Puss winced, glaring at him darkly. Donkey laughed nervously then recovered, getting out of sight again. They set their sights on their target. Arthur was kneeling behind a bush, looking up at a silhouette on a balcony.

Arthur watched from his place in hiding. Part of him was saying this was totally not okay and kind of creepy. The other part couldn't care less. He fidgeted nervously and swallowed. Okay. Here went nothing. "Gwen?" he whispered loudly. He coughed at the strain it put on his voice and grimaced. "Guinevere?" he whispered loudly again. He looked at the balcony again and she was gone. He glanced over and saw a rock on the ground. He slipped out, picking it up. Wow that was a big rock, but maybe he could make it? The common-sense part of him was telling him yeah right, but what use was common sense when you were in love? From behind the tree, Shrek, Puss, and Donkey watched blankly. What was he doing?

Grimacing, Arthur tried to throw the big rock with a piddly grunt. It dropped inches in front of him and he stared at it. They nearly face-palmed. Arthur grimaced sheepishly. Okay, really stupid idea out of the way. Time to use his functioning brain, he guessed. He looked around and spotted another more reasonably sized rock on the ground. He picked it up and set his eyes on the balcony. He swallowed and prepared to throw it.

Inside, Guinevere sat in her bedroom painting her toes while singing softly and smiling. Suddenly a rock flew the window and hit her in the face. "Ow!" she exclaimed. She scowled, turning to the window, and rose, marching angrily towards it. "Who's throwing rocks?!" she demanded, storming out onto the balcony.

Arthur caught his breath, stiffening, and immediately dove behind the bushes all but whimpering. Dang it, he'd hit her! Shoot! "Stupid, stupid, stupid," he whispered to himself.

"Uh okay, I just saw you jump behind that bush," she said while raising an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I have a mace," she warned, pulling it out and swinging it around in case it was some creep. Well, it was a flail, but whatever. Arthur swallowed, looking out from behind the bush. Oh dang it, how was he going to do this?

"Well, how's it going, Romeo?" a voice bit. Shrek. Arthur turned quickly with a gasp, startled.

"Ooh, somebody's in love," Donkey said, grinning knowingly.

"Shh," Arthur hissed frantically.

"Uh, hello?!" Gwen called. Arthur turned quickly, looking visibly nervous. Shrek frowned, crossing his arms, then pushed him out from behind the bush. Arthur nearly yelped but managed to bite it back. Gwen started. "Artie?" she said, lowering the mace. Well, _he_ wasn't a threat.

"Uh-uh h-hi Gwen!" Arthur called. "I was just passing by and, phew," he continued, starting to sweat and really beginning to squirm.

"You must compare her to a summer day! Although one that is neither too hot or too humid," Puss quickly instructed.

Arthur made a tight sound and blurted, "It's summer and you're hot? Oh wait, you're not hot! I mean you are, but not like that." Oh gods he wanted to drop dead on the spot. Had he just blurted that?!

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Uh, thank you… I think?" she replied, more curious than anything.

"You are tastier than huevos rancheros," Puss instructed quickly.

"Excuse me?" Gwen asked

"Huevos rancheros," Puss repeated insistently.

"Uh, m-my allergies are acting up!" Arthur replied. "Oh man," he said quieter, feeling close to hyperventilating.

"Just tell her what you came here to say," Shrek said, rolling his eyes at Puss.

He glared at them, upset, then thought about it. Well, could it be any worse than what it was already? He swallowed and looked back up. "Um… G-Gwen, uh…" he began. She watched him, listening curiously. She was a bit intrigued to see where this was going. "I-I just wanted to tell you that when I'm-when I'm in your presence I uh…"

Just then the door to Gwen's room burst open and she quickly looked over. In came Lancelot, followed by the other jocks, each one with a girl on their arm. "Ho ho ho, let's get this party started!" Lancelot said, pumping his fist in the air. The other jocks began making rooting sounds. Arthur gawked in shock and disbelief. This couldn't be happening. Now? Really?!

"Jessica, you know we're not allowed to have guests," Guinevere said, frowning at her friend who was dangling off Gawain's arm.

Jessica blinked then rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Eh," she brushed off.

Lancelot turned attention back to Guinevere. "Hey Gweny, you look most _smokin'_ in the moonlight," he flirted, grinning winningly at her and giving her a stuffed unicorn he'd picked up for her. She stared at him in confusion, a dubious look in her eyes.

Lancelot glanced down and started on seeing Arthur. He blinked blankly and almost scowled, but hid it with a wicked grin. "Oh look, poor wretched Artie, ooh," he taunted, leaning on the railing. "It's painful to see how hard you try."

"Watch it, bucket head! You're talkin' to the next king of Far, Far Away!" Shrek said, coming out from behind the bushes with Puss and Donkey and dropping a hand on Arthur's shoulder, ticked at how they were treating the kid.

"No he's not," Arthur hissed, shoving Shrek's hand off with a scowl. He willed them to leave so he didn't have to be more embarrassed than he already was, but it was too late for that, he guessed. They'd already come out to fight his battles for him. Just what he didn't need.

"Artie a king? More like the Mayor of Loserville," Lancelot taunted, grinning back at his jock buddies. Gwen's eyes narrowed at Lancelot coldly. The guy couldn't even come up with new material, it seemed. Like they hadn't heard _that_ one before a million times.

"Loserville," Bors repeated giggling.

"On account of you're a loser," Gawain explained. Arthur thought about barking that he didn't need the breakdown, but decided against it.

"Oh Gawain, you sure are smart, you is," Jessica gushed. Gawain kept a smile in place, though inwardly he was rolling his eyes. He really hoped she wasn't serious. That was actually one of the dumbest things he'd ever said. The next thing he knew she was making out with him none too chastely. Not that he was necessarily complaining, it just… kind of seemed a little awkward. Nonetheless, he reciprocated.

Puss leapt from the bushes suddenly. "You want to dance, you hairless apes?" he challenged. He drew his sword, offended at their belittling of Arthur. "Let's dance the tango, cha!"

Totally ignoring the caped cat, Lancelot said, "Yo Artie, this is like an exclusive night maiden party, so why don't you take a hike and bring your talking pets with you?" Rooting, he and the other jocks went back inside laughing. Well, Gawain wasn't, he was otherwise occupied with something that was escalating far faster than he was prepared for, but the others were.

Gwen watched after them in disbelief and confusion. Things could be heard breaking inside. She grimaced and turned to look back down. "Uh, goodnight Artie," she said almost apologetically. Turning, she headed back inside. She paused at the door, giving one last lingering look back, then entered.

Arthur watched after her longingly then sighed, looking sad. He bowed his head. "What was I thinking?" he asked glumly, turning to walk away.

"Hey, it doesn't have to be this way, kid," Shrek said, attempting to be reassuring.

"Actually, this is the way it's always been," Arthur replied, looking back at him.

"Not when you're king. Everyone respects a king!" Shrek said.

"Yeah! No more huckin' rocks to get her attention," Donkey said.

"And the ladies, they go loco in the cabeza for a man wearing a crown," Puss added.

"Yeah, I don't look good in crowns," Arthur replied, frowning. He'd been on the throne for six months, technically, and nothing anyone had said would happen was happening, so what _else_ could it be if anything they said was true? Which he doubted.

"So abolish them! You can change whatever you want when you're a king. Huh?" Shrek said.

They heard laughing from inside mixed with things breaking again. Arthur looked up towards the house and thought a moment. Well, when he was officially crowned no one could deny what he was anymore, he supposed. Things _might_ start to look up again at that point. "A king, huh? Well, what have I got to lose?" he finally relented.

"Exactly," Shrek said. Artie frowned at him. Shrek sheepishly shrugged.

KAK

Arthur's eyes flickered open exhaustedly and fitfully as he heard the trumpets sounding out the beginning of a new day. He swallowed thickly, burying his head in the pillow. He wished he hadn't woken up, but he had so duty called. Drawing a shaky breath, he rose to get ready to face the day. The royal tailor and general beautifier, Raoul, was there with all his assistants, flocking him and trying to set him up in appropriate attire for a coronation. Some of it looked plain ridiculous, and he adamantly refused to wear a lot of it, but they came out with a couple things that looked, you know, normal. Well, normal as a king could be. Regal but not over the top. Crimson cape with white trim, but not unnecessary amounts of it, royal colors with a good fit that didn't come across as pompous or frilly. He watched quietly as his appearance came together. Was it too much? Too little? Oh god, he didn't know what he was doing! He was terrified.

Ector came in just then as the stylist was finishing up with him. With him was Lillian. "You look wonderful, Arthur," Lillian said, smiling gently.

"Do I?" Arthur asked. "It isn't too much? Or too little?"

"It's just right," Ector assured him, smiling and gently squeezing his shoulders.

"I don't want to do this," Arthur said.

"I know you're nervous, son, but don't be afraid. You'll do just fine," Ector promised.

"Your moth… parents would be proud to see you now," Lillian said. She had considered summoning Igraine to the ceremony, and had in fact told Merlin it washer plan, but he had informed her that now wasn't the time; that if she wished to summon Arthur's mother she could, but she couldn't let Arthur _know_ Igraine was his mother. She hadn't asked why. Merlin was a strange one, but the one constant was that if you did what he told you to, things worked out, in general. If you didn't, things went badly for you. In general. Of course, few dared to go against his council so who was to say for sure whether he was a kook or actually onto something with his ideas?

"Yeah, _so_ proud," Arthur sarcastically replied.

"I'm sorry, dear. I won't speak of them again," Lillian promised.

Arthur was quiet. "Who were they?" he finally asked.

Lillian was silent, as was Ector. At times like this, she was glad Arthur didn't know that Ector had the answers too. The man wouldn't be able to resist his adoptive son's pleading. "In time you'll learn, Arthur," the queen finally replied. "Only a little longer."

Arthur sighed. "I'm sick of hearing that," he answered, starting to remove the outfit and nodding at Raoul that it would be the one he'd wear when the day of the coronation came. Lillian winced but didn't offer anything else. Arthur got behind a screen, dressed in normal clothes, and left the room without a word to either Ector or Lillian.

"Must we keep it from him?" Ector asked, when he was sure Arthur was out of hearing range.

"Will you go against Merlin's council?" Lillian questioned.

"I'm sorely tempted to," Ector answered.

KAK

Arthur walked through the ruins, kicking a rock as he went. He just wanted to be alone for a while and think things out. He came around a corner and paused, tensing up and quickly moving out of sight. Gawain was there alone, perched on a fallen pillar and covering his face with his hands. For a moment Arthur wondered if he was crying, but then decided that it wasn't likely. On the other hand… He winced and stepped out into sight tentatively. "Gawain?" he cautiously asked. Gawain caught his breath quietly, looking quickly up and over at Arthur with eyes wide. He blinked at the other then looked away again, hanging his head low. Arthur shifted. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"What does it matter to you?" Gawain asked.

"It doesn't. Oh, and by the way, thanks for standing up for me last night when Lance was putting me down," Arthur nipped bitterly. Gawain tensed up slightly before letting his shoulders sag again. He didn't answer. "Yeah. Didn't figure there'd be an answer," Arthur said with a scoff, turning to walk away. He looked back before he did, and saw Gawain hadn't moved. He blinked curiously and grimaced. Turning again, he said, "Seriously, are you okay?" Still silence. Now it was getting a little eerie, Arthur noted. "How was the party?" he asked, trying to break ice. Gawain shuddered, bowing his head lower and closing his eyes. Arthur frowned. "Did something happen?" he asked.

"What didn't happen?" Gawain answered. "Teenagers alone in a big house with no adult supervision and no common sense or foresight. We never really look at the consequences of our actions until too late, do we?"

"Well, I think there are probably a few exceptions, but…" Arthur began.

"You'd think I would have been one of them. The exceptions," Gawain cut off with a bitter laugh. "Until last night I'd always looked ahead to the consequences of everything I'd ever planned to do, or I tried to at least. Then at the party… Look, I'm busy being disgusted with myself, Arthur. Just… can you go please?"

"What happened, Gawain? What consequence did you overlook that it drove you to hide here?" Arthur pressed.

"Guess we'll know in a month or two," Gawain dryly answered.

Arthur looked confused. "What kind of consequence could possibly take a month or two to…" he began. He stopped suddenly, eyes lighting with realization. "Oh… Oh!" he exclaimed. "Oh sh… Dude!" Arthur said.

"There were a lot of people overlooking consequences last night," Gawain said, grimacing and cringing, ashamedly hanging his head as low as it could possibly go.

Arthur was quiet. A lot? He shifted uneasily. "Um, was… was Gwen one?" he almost timidly asked.

Gawain chuckled. "No," he answered. "Lancelot _thought_ she was."

"Thought?" Arthur asked.

"He'd had more than a little mead, and Elaine was more than a little desperate. Girl's good at disguises. Enchanted rings help," Gawain said. "I know I should have said something, but I was kind of busy with... with Jessica. At least that's how people know her." Turned out she… wasn't everything she'd appeared to be. Most terrifying moment of his life to learn the truth…

Arthur was too busy being relieved Gwen hadn't been one of the careless ones to fully comprehend the latter part of Gawain's statement. He looked up at the other once more. "I wish I knew what to say to help you," he finally remarked.

"Why?" Gawain asked. "It isn't like we're friends."

"Maybe because you treated me half decently the day I came back to school?" Arthur replied. "Look man, don't question it. I don't have an answer. Just… ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this. I'm around. You know, if you don't want to talk to Lancelot or any of the other jocks."

Gawain looked curiously over at him. "Gawain?!" a voice called. Gawain turned towards it quickly.

"Oh great. Lance," Arthur groaned. "Quick, where can I hide?"

"It's okay, Arthur, I'll keep him at bay," Gawain said.

"Forgive my skepticism," Arthur bit. Spotting a pillar, he quickly ran to it and darted behind. Gawain shook his head then turned as Lancelot came onto the scene.

KAK

Lancelot looked around the ruins and spotted his friend. "There you are," he said. "Why did you run off here?"

"Because I can't wallow in self-pity elsewhere?" Gawain replied.

"What do you have to pity yourself over? You got her, man!" Lancelot said.

"Lancelot, I'm not even sure I _wanted_ her," he answered. In fact, now that he knew… things… he was _certain_ he didn't.

"Hey, it's a notch on the stick," Lancelot said.

"Can you please just… just talk to me like a friend instead of some 'big man on campus' creep?!" Gawain demanded. "You don't have to put on that show for me, Lance. Would have thought you'd known that by now." Arthur started, frowning curiously. What? What did Gawain mean? Cautiously he peeked out, curious.

Lancelot was quiet for a long moment. Finally, though, he sighed and shuffled over to Gawain. He climbed up and sat next to him quietly. After a moment he said, "What's going on?" Gawain was silent. Lancelot waited. Soon he looked away again. "For what it's worth, if you _did_ plant a seed you can't take back, you shouldn't worry about it. You'll be a great…"

"Please don't say it," Gawain pled.

"Well, you will be," Lancelot offered.

Gawain was quiet. "You'd be too," he finally replied.

Lancelot was quiet. "Yeah… Because I'm great role model material," he sarcastically answered after a moment.

"You _could_ be," Gawain said.

Lancelot seemed about to reply, but just then they heard a yelp and sharply looked towards the pillar where Arthur was hiding. "Who goes there?!" Lancelot demanded, leaping down and readying himself for a fight. Arthur bit his tongue to keep from cursing, rubbing his head where the chunk of debris had struck. He caught his breath when Lancelot called, "Come out or I'll drag you out!"

Arthur winced, tensing up. "It was probably just an animal, Lance, let's go," Gawain said.

"Maybe, but I'm checking anyway," Lancelot replied, heading towards the pillar.

Arthur thought quickly, realized he had no way out, grimaced, then stepped sheepishly into sight. "Uh Lance, Gawain, um, f-fancy meeting you here?"

Lancelot started then scowled. "You're a dead man, Artie! How long have you been spying?!"

"I haven't been spying!" Arthur insisted.

"Lancelot, leave it," Gawain said, frowning firmly.

"I want to know what he heard!" Lancelot shot.

"Nothing!" Arthur insisted, stepping back.

"Listen here you little twerp, I…" Lancelot began.

"Arthur!" a voice called. They all looked over. Running towards them was a flustered looking Lucan.

"Two losers in one go. This is my lucky day," Lancelot said, grinning.

"Hold it. Sounds like something's up," Gawain said. Lancelot paused, frowning, then turned to see where this was going.

"Lucan? Uh, what's up?" Arthur asked.

"You may have a problem," Lucan, panting, said as he paused to catch his breath.

"Problem? What kind of problem?" Arthur questioned, tensing up.

"I went to arrange things with Bishop Baudwin and it went off smoothly. Until he asked me if you'd found 'it'," Lucan said.

"It?" Arthur asked.

"My question exactly. As it turns out, there's… a bit of a task he requires you to complete before he'll agree to coronate you," Lucan said.

"What? He can't do that! I'm rightful king," Arthur protested.

Lucan grimaced. "Actually, he can," he answered. "And will. It's a trial, of sorts. A test of your nobility and determination. He wants to be sure of your devotion before he lays the crown into your hands?" Lucan replied.

"A test of…? Aunt Lillian," Arthur realized, shoulders sagging. It had to be. No one knew better than her how lame he'd been on the throne these last six months. For all intents and purposes, Far Far Away was her kingdom as much as his. She wanted to be sure he could care for it, no doubt. He was hurt, badly, but at the same time he guessed he kind of got why. He sighed deeply. "Alright, lay it on me. What task am I supposed to complete?" Arthur demanded. Lucan shifted uneasily and Arthur frowned. That… wasn't a good sign. "Lucan?"

Lucan grimaced and sighed. "Have you heard of the Holy Grail?" he questioned.

KAK

There was stunned silence. You couldn't even hear a cricket chirping anymore. They'd stopped abruptly on hearing the name. For an awkwardly long time it was quiet. "The Holy Grail?!" Gawain finally managed to blurt out, shoving passed Lancelot with eyes wide. "Is he insane?! No one's _ever_ found that thing. No one's _lived_ long enough to."

"So, little Artie's got to go to his doom. Classic," Lancelot said, grinning cruelly.

Gawain frowned at his friend then turned back. "Lucan, this is insane. Tell me you told Baudwin that!" he said.

"As a matter of fact, I did. You're an intelligent human being when you want to be, Gawain. Given I'm here now, how about you deduce for me how well that went over?" Lucan replied.

"Did you tell him he's sending Arthur to his death?" Gawain demanded.

"My death?" Arthur tightly asked, teeth clenching as he tensed up.

"He told me that wasn't his problem, in so many words, and then blathered something about having faith that the king would succeed," Lucan said. "I told him that the 'king', was Arthur. He had no further words."

"Your confidence in me is overwhelming," Arthur bit, glaring at him.

"Take it as a compliment. Given he didn't flat out state you were going to die, he's already given you more credit than he's given anyone else," Lancelot said.

"That's, uh, reassuring? I guess," Arthur replied.

"That's not the best part. You're competing. Others will be searching for it too," Lucan said to Arthur while frowning at Lancelot.

"Wait, why?" Arthur asked.

"Because apparently a hero in possession of the grail is granted the chance to challenge the king for his throne," Lucan answered.

"What?!" Arthur exclaimed. Oh, this just got better and better.

Immediately Lancelot perked up, eyes widening. "What?" he repeated. "Gawain, get your gear. We're hunting that cup down," he stated.

"You're going to die," Lucan flat out said.

"Pfft, yeah right. Face it, we have a far better chance than Artie does. Look at it this way, _someone's_ got to be king if he doesn't make it back," Lancelot replied, smirking wickedly. He turned to Gawain again. "Come on. Let's get together a little posse and get this party started." He looked to Arthur. "See you at the finish line, loser."

"Lancelot, this is crazy!" Gawain called. Lance was already heading off. Gawain sighed hopelessly, shaking his head. He gave an apologetic look to Arthur and followed his friend.

Arthur was left gawking after them in disbelief. "I'm doomed," he said.

"Yep," Lucan replied. "Best of luck to you, chum."

Arthur cringed. "Hey Lucan, you want to…" he began to sing.

"Nope," Lucan flatly answered, leaving with a casual wave. Arthur winced and shifted uneasily. Oh man, what was he going to do?


	6. The Fauxly Grail

The Fauxly Grail

(A/N: Second deleted scene here. Third won't come until some time later in this series. This scene starts in section three and goes for four sections. It ends when Arthur an co are racing back to Worcestershire.)

"You have to find what?" Shrek asked.

"The mystical Holy Grail. It's a journey from which no knight has ever returned, so they say," Arthur said, bowing his head. He looked up again. "But I can't do it alone. I need help."

"So get together a posse or somethin'," Donkey replied.

"Yeah, because I have enough friends to make a posse," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes. "Look, all I have is you guys. Aunt Lillian's too old, Sir Ector is too protective, Kay is too Kay, Morgan could care less about a cup, so it's just down to you three. I know it's asking a lot, like I said no one's ever come back, but just… Please."

"Senor, you have my most humble services," Puss promised, bowing to him.

"Sure, what's the worst that could happen?" Donkey said.

"A horrible, painful, slow death?" Shrek dryly replied.

"Shrek, not in front of the kid," Donkey hissed.

"No, he's right," Arthur said. "But I still have to try. I need to prove that I'm worthy to be king! That I'm strong enough. Determined enough! …Good enough…" He breathed a sigh. "If I never see you again, it's been fun."

"Now hold on, Artie," Shrek said.

"Bye guys," Arthur replied, heading out.

Puss and Donkey gave Shrek 'the look'. "Of for crying out loud. Artie, wait up!"

"Alright! The three caballeros off on another adventure," Donkey said.

"Hey, you say a Spanish word! I am so proud," Puss said, sniffing and wiping an eye.

"Yeah, yeah, don't let it get to your head," Donkey replied.

KAK

"Let's see, so far we've come across two wild boar, four bears, and about nine other groups out searching for the Holy Grail, including Lance's posse. Who, might I add, are way ahead of us. Aren't _we_ productive?" Arthur said with a disgusted scoff. They'd been searching all day and well into the night!

"Senor, you are searching for an ancient treasure that has been lost for centuries. One cannot expect to find it in a day," Puss pointed out.

"I don't have years, Puss," Arthur replied.

"Then their expectations are unrealistic," Puss said.

"So why would Baudwin even give the task, then? There's something to this, I know it," Arthur replied. He just wished he understood what. "I'll stay out looking until I have no other choice but to go back. Then I'll head out after the coronation and try again, maybe."

"You seen anyone from your school out lookin'?" Donkey asked. "I mean, besides that Lancelot guy and his friends?"

"A few," Arthur replied. He found it a bit surprising Bors had been tagging along with Lancelot. Neither Lionel or Hector were, so Arthur would have assumed Lance would leave Bors behind too. Maybe he had forbid it but Bohort had just followed. After all, judging by Lancelot's expression the jouster hadn't wanted his cousin to be there. It seemed Lance had planned to specifically _avoid_ bringing any of his family with him. Which meant odds were Bohort had snuck himself into the party, determined not to be left behind, and only been discovered recently. He guessed he kind of got why Lance had wanted to leave his family at Worcestershire. It was probably the same reason, the actual reason, that _he_ hadn't wanted to bring Ector or Kay. Lancelot was a creep, but he was still human. That meant he probably really loved his family, Arthur guessed. Though it pained him to think Lancelot even had that much decency.

"Look kid, the sun's setting. We'll make camp then get an early start in the morning. You'll be back at Worcestershire by tomorrow night," Shrek said. At least he'd better be.

"You think?" Arthur hopefully asked.

"I know," Shrek replied.

"Yeah. Okay. I _am_ kind of tired," Arthur replied with a sad smile. He sat on the grass, yawning and stretching, then laid back on it. "Night guys," he said. Closing his eyes, he was soon fast asleep.

"Shrek, why'd you tell him we was gonna find the grail by tomorrow night?" Donkey questioned when they were sure Arthur was out.

"Because we will! It just might not be the Holy Grail he expects," Shrek replied. "Look, odds are no one's ever seen it, right? So, we make something or find another fancy, schmancy cup, put it in a cave, have Arthur head inside, and all our problems are solved. Arthur gets a grail, he gets home alive, he's crowned, everyone wins."

"I don't know, Shrek. That seems kind of wrong," Donkey replied.

"It's for his own good," Shrek defended. "Now come on, boys. We have planning to do."

KAK

The sun rose gradually in the sky, gently warming the field and bathing the sleeping young king in light. "Artie," a soft voice said in Guinevere's tone. Arthur stirred slightly, a smile pulling at his lips. "Artie," it repeated a little louder, and Arthur stirred more, rolling onto his back in a half-awake state.

"Gu-Guinevere?" he mumbled hopefully, opening his eyes.

His heart skipped a beat as he saw a vision of her, standing over him with a smile. She leaned over. "Artie, what are you doing? Let's get out of here," she added with a bewitching smirk.

"Y-you mean it? Just you and me?" he asked in awe and hope.

"Who else, kid?!" a voice decidedly not Guinevere's demanded. Arthur jerked fully awake with a gasp only to see Shrek leaning over him. He nearly cried out in disgust before preventing himself. "Now come on, we gotta go."

Arthur rubbed his eyes to erase the vision and sat up. "Huh?" he replied, confused.

"The Grail, Artie! I found the cave, now rise and shine," Shrek replied.

"Rise and shine?" Arthur asked, confused.

"You don't want Sir Shmansypants to get there first, do ya?" Shrek asked.

"No, but-but they were already ahead of us!" Arthur said, still trying to orient himself as he stood, slightly hopeful. Bors had really been tearing it up with the clues, more excited to find it than Arthur had ever seen _anyone_.

"Not anymore," Shrek replied.

"B-but where's-where's Puss and Donkey?!" Arthur called as he ran to catch up.

"Puss and Donkey, Puss and Donkey," Shrek said, grimacing and trying to come up with an excuse. "Oh, they're up ahead scouting about like they normally do. It's just normal, totally normal!" Arthur stared at him weirdly. Was he okay? "They're gonna give us the old cuckcaw, cuckaw if they see anything we should worry about, okay? Now let's just focus on the task at hand, alright?"

"Sure, yeah, but-but we were lost! How'd you find it?" Arthur questioned.

Shrek walked up to big shrub, parted the leaves, and gestured through it. "Luck's on our side, kid," he replied with a grin. Arthur peered curiously through the bushes and caught his breath, eyes widening. Whoa… Shocked, he stepped from the bushes and walked towards a humongous cavern, kind of terrified.

"That's nothing. Just think of it as a, you know, a giant door leading to a fire-breathing beast protecting its giant treasure," Shrek said. He picked up a bucket, tearing a strip out of it at about eye-level, then plunked it down on Arthur's head like a helmet.

"Uh, Shrek…" Arthur began.

Shrek ignored him, picking up a barrel lid, and said, "Catch!" He thrust it at Arthur, who caught it. The force with which it hit him knocked him back onto the ground with a yelp. "Well, at least you know what you're up against," Shrek said with a smug smile, handing over a pitchfork for Arthur to use as a weapon. Arthur stood up in disbelief, taking the 'weapon'. Oh Shrek had to be kidding. "You look great kid," Shrek said.

"Thanks Shrek," Arthur replied, grimacing.

"Now get in there, battle the beast, grab the grail, beat the bullies, love that lady, and become the king," Shrek said. Well, the love the lady part sounded good at least, Arthur decided.

KAK

The cave was large, gaping, dark, and terrifying. Definitely _seemed_ like a place the grail would be, Arthur noted. He must seem so tiny walking in. "H-hello?" he called out nervously. He walked in a little further and glanced around. "Hello?!" he called a bit louder.

 _Hello, hello, hello._

He shivered at the echo and walked forward slowly, looking around fearfully. Oh this was so creepy. His breathing was heavier than he would have liked to admit it was. He walked around a corner carefully and stopped, gasping. There, on a pedestal of rock surrounded by a pit, was a golden cup with light streaming down on it from a crack in the cave. "Shrek, I see the grail!" Arthur excitedly called out. At least, he _believed_ it was the grail. He'd have thought it would be a bit more elegant, but whatever. Just then he heard a weird groaning growl sound. "Huh?" he said, quickly turning. He saw nothing. But there was something in here, he knew there was. He didn't know what it was. Was it close? Was it dangerous? Was this the end?! He held out his pitchfork, swallowing. "Yes, I can do this," he willed himself out loud. He held his pitchfork out and at the ready, turning around constantly and keeping his eyes open for whatever was here with him. He froze with a terrified gasp. A bony hand was starting to come up over a ridge! He broke into a cold sweat, mouth dropping slowly and eyes wide as a silhouette, a very _large_ silhouette, began to creep up the wall. "I can do this. I can do this," Arthur willed himself in terror, knees shaking. Slowly the beast emerged from around the rock and… Arthur stopped shaking and stared at it in disbelief. This was it? It wasn't even a _fraction_ of the size he'd thought it was! And it looked ridiculous! Well, the skull head with antlers was kind of creepy, but what was with the moss body blanket? It continued growling and groaning. Suddenly it seemed to trip and fall, splatting on the ground with a cry. Arthur couldn't believe it. "What the heck is _that_?" he asked out loud.

Shrek, meanwhile, was peering from around the corner in disbelief. Oh boy. Slowly the creature stood back up. "What are you doing you clumsy burrow?" a voice hissed.

"Hey, you got the eye holes, man, do your thing," another hissed back. Arthur stared. Was it… talking to itself? What even was this? The creature hissed. Arthur kept staring, unintimidated.

"Uh, that did no work so good. Now what?" the first voice asked.

"I don't know. Charge him!" the second said. With a battle cry the creature charged at Artie determinedly. Arthur narrowed his eyes, standing his ground as it got closer and closer. He got ready for a stab… and then promptly realized how close he was to the edge of the pit and casually stepped aside. Hey, less work for him. The creature charged right on by, toppling into the hole with cries of alarm.

Arthur stared after it in disbelief. "Ugh, this is so lame," he said with a groan.

"Oy yoy yoy," Shrek said, face-palming. He looked at Arthur. "Alright Artie, way to take care of business! Now go get the grail and let's go. Arthur looked over at the grail and ran off to get it. The skull head poked over the edge, followed by Donkey poking his head over. Shrek looked at the two and frowned at them, eyes narrowing. He pointed his finger down, subtly cuing them to get back down. They gave him apologetic looks and shrank down in embarrassment.

KAK

Artie walked carefully across the rock outcropping, heading for the pedestal. He grabbed the grail and turned. "I got it!" he called to Shrek.

"Good going, Artie! Now let's get back and measure your head, because someone needs to be fitted for a crown," Shrek said.

Arthur grinned and headed back across the pit. He was just walking away from it when suddenly there was a loud stomp sound and the ground shook. Arthur froze. What was that? Artie swallowed and started to look back. A huge, monstrous head poked out from the pit.

Shrek looked and gasped. "Artie!" he shouted, reaching out for the boy.

Arthur spun around and gawked in horror. From out of the pit climbed a dragon! In shock, Arthur dropped the grail. The dragon let out a furious roar. Arthur numbly raised his pitchfork and shield, knowing full well they'd do crap all against this thing. It made to lunge with another roar. Just then Shrek raced over, pushing Arthur out of the way. Artie skidded across the floor and looked up with a gasp. The dragon suddenly head-butted Shrek, sending the ogre flying.

Arthur scrambled to his feet, picking up his pitchfork. The dragon breathed a wall of flame. Arthur gasped, throwing up his makeshift shield. Immediately it caught on fire and Arthur cried out, tossing it to the side. Oh no. The dragon began approaching as Arthur fearfully moved back. Until he couldn't. He gasped. He was cornered! He looked at the dragon again, shakily raising his pitchfork - for all the good it would do - and fully believed he was going to die.

Suddenly a hand popped up over the dragon's head and Arthur gaped as Shrek climbed onto the beast's head. He grabbed the horns immediately, trying to distract the creature, and suddenly they heard something cry out, "Ooga booga, booga, booga!" Arthur looked over in disbelief as the creature from before raced in front of him waving its arms frantically, trying to distract the monster. The dragon looked confused. So did Arthur. So did Shrek. Like none of them could believe what they were seeing. Arthur had an idea of what this creature was now, and he was none too impressed. Of course, that wasn't his biggest concern at the moment, so he let it go. There was a beat, but it didn't last. Suddenly the dragon roared. The 'monster' roared in return and fled right back to the pit, leaping in. Arthur nearly face-palmed. Great. He'd picked a crack team, hadn't he?

"Ugh, I'm so dead," he muttered out loud.

The dragon looked after the other creature then turned back to Arthur and roared again, preparing to breathe fire. Shrek gasped and jerked its horns backwards as hard as he could, raising its head so the fire went over Arthur's. The dragon threw its head back and Shrek lost his grip, falling with a cry and tumbling down the scales like a set of stairs. He reached the tail and the dragon flicked it back, sending Shrek careening across the cavern and into a wall with a sickening crack. He fell to the ground, unconscious, and now it was only Arthur and the beast.

KAK

The tail swooped at Arthur. Arthur dove out of the way quickly, losing his helmet in the process but managing to hold the pitchfork. The dragon came at him with its teeth. Arthur backwards rolled out of the way and crawled farther from the jaws, cornered again. He cursed under his breath. It came at him but he shot to his feet and darted under the dragon's body determinedly. He wasn't being lunch today, thank you! The dragon, surprised, looked under itself. Arthur raced to the tail and began running up the scales to it's back where it couldn't reach. The dragon tried to bite and snap at him, but he was just out of range of the neck. It shook itself and thrashed its body all over, breaking down pillars and causing rocks to start raining down as the cave was destabilized.

Shrek, groaning, came to and saw what was going on, the dragon rolling and writhing and Arthur keeping his balance like an old hand. Finally, though, it shook the boy king. Arthur went flying off with a cry, his pitchfork sticking into a pillar and leaving him hanging from it far above the ground. Arthur held on tightly. The dragon swished its tail around, trying to crush Arthur's body against the rocks. Arthur gasped, pulling himself up in a chin-up and missing it. The tail smashed into the pillar instead, and rocks began falling more rapidly. He looked up. Okay, this was as unstable as it would ever be. He had one chance at this. He just had to wait for the right moment. The dragon came at him with its jaws, and he decided this was as good a moment as any.

"Artie!" Shrek shouted in fear.

Arthur set his jaw, gritting his teeth with eyes narrowed at the dragon. With a grunt, he pulled himself out of the pillar, dropping. The dragon crashed into the column which all but shattered, the rocks tumbling in boulders down on top of it as Artie slid down the base with a determined expression and rolled out of the way of the caving in pillar, looking back with a scowl to make sure the dragon was well and truly dead. It was, and Arthur, breathing heavily, began to calm down. Shrek could only gawk in disbelief along with Donkey and Puss. Arthur turned and saw the grail. He smiled, snatching it and standing before heading towards Shrek. Puss and Donkey, from the side, numbly removed their costume and headed over too while Shrek continued gaping in shock.

"Shrek, I did it!" Arthur said excitedly and proudly, beaming. Shrek stared at him for a beat. Whoa…

"You… _did_ it," Shrek finally managed to say in disbelief.

"Come on, we've got to get back," Arthur said, grinning widely. He turned, clutching the grail proudly, and headed out as Shrek watched after him, mouth still hanging open. He turned to Puss and Donkey.

"I bet you feel _really_ good about this one," Donkey sarcastically bit.

"Sure, uh, why not?" Shrek replied, shrugging. It certainly had given the _kid_ a confidence boost, if nothing else.

"You are not going to tell him the truth?" Puss asked.

"We'll be on our way home before anyone's the wiser," Shrek defended. Like Puss had said, no one had found the grail for centuries. He doubted today would be any different than all the others. It would more likely than not stay undiscovered, and hey, maybe it would save some lives if they believed Arthur had found the real one. Fewer knights going out and getting themselves killed over a cup. Puss and Donkey gave him the look. Shrek winced. "Come on," he said, heading quickly after Arthur. Puss and Donkey rolled their eyes and followed.

KAK

Arthur, grinning from ear to ear, raced back to the school excitedly. He'd done it. He'd found the Holy Grail! "Dad, dad!" Arthur called excitedly out, spotting Ector and Meliot ushering back in the groups of students who had headed out to try and find the grail too. Another staff member was with them, Sir Bors. He was Bohort and Lionel's dad. Arthur lit up even more when he saw that the ones the teachers were welcoming back now were Lancelot and his party. Score! He could finally rub something in. "Dad, I found it! I found the Grail! It was in a freaky cave and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon and everything!" he exclaimed, showing it off proudly.

Ector spun, eyes wide, as did Lancelot's team. Lancelot's eyes widened as well. "No way!" he said. But how?! _Artie_ found it?

Ector grabbed the cup, gawking at it in shock, before processing what Arthur had said he'd had to face and quickly turning to his foster son. "Are you alright?" he demanded.

"I'm better than alright! I found the Holy Grail!" Arthur said.

"But that's not the Holy Grail," Bors the Younger protested.

"There, there, Bors. I know how much you wanted to be the one to find it, but it's not the end of the world," King Bors the Elder said in a soothing tone.

"I'm not upset, da. That's just not the Holy Grail," Bors said.

"Bors, what have I taught you and your brother about being happy for other people when they accomplish things?" Bors the Elder chastised.

"The Holy Grail is a bejeweled treasure, not a mug made of wychwood and overlaid with gold," Bors insisted. "Me and Percival have researched _everything_ to do with it. That's not it."

"Well then why was a fire-breathing dragon guarding it?" Arthur challenged.

"Because it's another priceless treasure cup?" Bohort answered like it was obvious. "Da, da, I think he found the Nanteos Cup!"

"The Nanteos Cup? Wasn't that one of the cups suspected of being the holy grail?" Ector asked.

"It was, but they decided it wasn't it in the end. I'm telling you, that's not the Grail," Bohort stated, pointing at it. "But it's probably at least three quarters as important. The Nanteos cup is a big find itself. Like I said, it's a treasure too," he triumphantly finished.

"Shrek, where'd you find a treasure?" Donkey whispered.

"I didn't. Puss found it," Shrek replied, pointing. Puss tensed and looked at them before giving a guilty grin and shrug, nervously chuckling as they glared. Stolen, no doubt. They didn't even bother asking.

Lancelot cruelly laughed. "Figured you'd screw something as important as a quest for the Holy Grail up, loser," he taunted Arthur, who looked stunned and more than a little upset, staring at the cup he'd brought back in disbelief. But-but he'd almost died for that thing!

"Enough, Lancelot! Get inside," Sir Meliot sharply ordered, pointing. Lancelot started, frowned as he debated whether to throw out a defiant answer, then decided it was probably in his own best interests if he didn't push Sir Meliot farther. Grinning tauntingly at Arthur, he walked off laughing with the rest of his posse, say for Gawain who was shaking his head, and Bohort who was too busy being relieved he still had a chance to be the one to find the grail.

KAK

Arthur's shoulders slumped and he bowed his head. Shrek cringed. "Sorry, Artie," he said, definitely not wanting to tell the truth now. "But hey, it's a treasure too, right?"

"Arthur, what you did was amazing. Do you know how often people have gone in search for this cup?" Sir Ector added, trying to help Shrek cheer the boy up. "This was no small accomplishment."

"Still isn't good enough. Baudwin said I needed to get the Grail if he was going to agree to crown me king, and now… What's even the point, sir?" Arthur said.

"I'll go with you to explain, if you want," Ector gently offered.

"Because _that'll_ do wonders for my reputation," Arthur replied. Ector cringed and Arthur bit his tongue. "Sorry," he said.

"If you'd prefer, I can meet you there," Ector said, sounding a little disheartened.

Well now Arthur really felt like crap. "It's okay, dad. You can come with me," he assured, smiling at Ector. Ector smiled back, relaxing a little, and nodded. Arthur smiled then headed off. Ector lagged behind him a little ways. Arthur wasn't complaining. Ector glanced at Shrek guardedly, who stared back, then awkwardly cleared his throat and headed after Arthur with the ogre.

"So… you're Arthur's father then," Shrek said.

"In every way but blood," Ector answered. "And you're… the ogre who came to take him away from Worcestershire."

"Uh… yes," Shrek replied.

Ector nodded. There was silence a moment. "You realize that if I'd been there you would have been as good as dead, right?" he soon asked. "Considering I'd thought you a threat."

"Yeah. I got it," Shrek flatly replied. He looked at Arthur. "You raised a heck of a kid, you know."

Ector smiled gently. "More than anyone knows. Thank you," he answered. "And thank you for getting him to Far Far Away alive. I wish I'd been there to send him off." Shrek smiled, loosening up a bit. He guessed that was approval.

KAK

Arthur approached Bishop Baudwin cautiously, visibly nervous. He paused before he was seen and swallowed, looking back. He was glad, now, that he'd allowed Ector to come. And the guys too. Ector nodded at him. Arthur turned back to Baudwin and approached. "S-sir?" he said.

Baudwin turned. "Well, if it isn't the young King. Have you found the Grail already?" he questioned.

"N-no, sir… I thought I had, it was being guarded by a fire-breathing dragon in a dark cave and there was this huge fight and it was so cool! But then it turns out it wasn't," Arthur replied, producing the cup. "I'm sorry I failed. I guess… I guess this means no coronation, huh?"

Baudwin tilted his head. After a moment, he gently squeezed Arthur's shoulder. Arthur looked curiously up at him. "Arthur, the purpose of the task wasn't the Grail. I could care less about the Holy Grail. It will be found when fate decrees it will. What I wanted to know was how true your heart was towards becoming king. I wanted to see how determined you were to take up the mantle. I wanted to see what you were willing to risk and give for it. Being a king is a very, very large responsibility, one you couldn't possibly have been ready for. It would have been so easy for you to run instead of even trying to find the grail, but you _didn't_ run. Here you are. You came back. You could have given up and handed the crown back to Lillian, but you came back. You didn't come back empty handed either. You risked life and limb itself to try and prove to me that you truly wanted this, and by extension showed everyone that you were willing to risk the same to protect and lead _them_ too." He released Arthur's shoulder, stepping back, then kneeled before him, bowing his head. "It will be my deepest honor to coronate you, your majesty. Forgive me the test I gave you. Tomorrow you will be crowned king."

Arthur could only gape in shock. "R-really? Thank you, sir!" he said, a grin spreading across his face. Baudwin smiled and rose. Ector beamed lovingly at his adoptive son. Shrek, Puss, and Donkey all smiled affectionately.

"Now _that's_ what I call a happy ending," Donkey declared. "Let's bow to the king, baby!" Arthur grinned widely as those with him all bowed proudly. Maybe everything was starting to look up after all…

 _Coronation Day_

Arthur stared at himself in the mirror nervously, checking over his appearance for the last time. Today was the day of his coronation, and he couldn't remember ever being this nervous in his whole life. "Come along, son. It's time," Ector said.

"I'm afraid," Arthur replied.

"I know… I'm here, Arthur. So is your aunty, and your brother and sister, and your friends," Ector assured. Arthur swallowed nervously then smiled weakly, nodding. He turned, drew a breath, and followed his father out into the courtyard.

KAK

Arthur stood before them all, pale but trying to hide his fear and uncertainty from all the subjects gathered to witness the event. There was all manner of men who tried to pull the sword one last time in hopes of proving the claim Arthur was king wrong. None of them succeeded. When finally every defiant knave and knight who wanted to test their worth had tested it, and when finally all egos were thoroughly squashed, Arthur stepped forward at Ector's gentle prompt and approached the sword wordlessly as all eyes watched. He stared at Caliburn a long moment. "We meet again," he murmured to it with a small smile, too quiet for anyone to hear and assume he'd lost his mind. Arthur drew a breath and reached out, wrapping his hand around the hilt of the blade. He swallowed, prayed this worked, then pulled.

The sword slid out as if he'd drawn it from soft butter, and shone brightly in the sun as Arthur held it up for all the people to see. There was stunned shock and awe as they gaped in wonder at the glistening blade held in the boy's hand. All at once they broke into applause and shouts of joy. Fiona, Shreak, Puss, Donkey, and the Fairy Tale Creatures beamed widely, whistling and hooting. Fiona wiped away a happy tear. The people cried out, "We will have Arthur unto our king! We will delay him no more, for we see that fate wills he shall be king, and he who holdeth against that fact we will slay him!" More than a few of his schoolmates looked suddenly very uneasy. Arthur grimaced at the words of the people. He thought their threat was kind of extreme and almost shouted out that there would be no slaying, but a firm warning glance from Lillian silenced him, and he bit his tongue.

 _All together the subjects knelt as once, both rich and poor, and begged for his mercy because they'd delayed him for so long._

Arthur was totally bowled over. This was the _exact_ opposite of what the reaction from Worcestershire had been, and judging by the shocked expressions on the faces of the students, only now were they starting to truly and genuinely comprehend just how serious Arthur's pulling the sword from the stone and anvil was.

 _And Arthur forgave them and took the sword between both his hands and offered it on the altar, and so was made knight…_

And then the next thing he knew, they were on their way up the Mountain of Kings to carry out the final rites. Did this mean he got to skip school, he hopefully wondered? He got to be a knight without attending Worcestershire, after all! Kind of. Sort of… In title, maybe, but title was what mattered, right? Ugh, he was only kidding himself. He wasn't holding his breath they'd let him off that easily.

 _And so anon was the coronation made…_

Arthur stood on the high cliff overlooking the land in shock and awe, only starting to register now just how serious and severe this role he had taken on was. When he was told to kneel he knelt, holding his breath and valiantly trying to hide his subtle shivering. He caught his breath as he was given the speech and the actions were carried out, and soon Bishop Baudwin gave him Caliburn once more. Arthur rose, looked over the land, and knew he was supposed to hold it out over it to claim it, but terror was starting to grip him again. He wanted to run. Run as fast and far away from here as humanly possible and never look back. He swallowed, looking around for an escape route. Instead he met Kay's eyes, and Lucan's. Kay gently and reassuringly smiled at him, nodding, as Lucan motioned for him to do it, and Arthur remembered a promise he'd made to Ector long ago when he'd first pulled Caliburn from the stone as a kid, probably only twelve. It was too late to go back. He couldn't run from this like he had tried to run from other things, he knew that. He didn't like it, but that was how it was. He looked out over the land, swallowed, and stretched out the sword with a shaky breath.

 _And there was he sworn unto his lords and the commons for to be a true king, to stand with true justice from thenceforth the days of his life…_

Uproarious cheers rang out as people hollered for him and cried out. He hated the attention so, so much. He didn't deserve this. What right did he have to rule them? He just… He took a breath. He needed to calm down. All he could do, now, was his best. And hope his best was good enough for the first time in his life…

* * *

(A/N: This is the end of Act 1, so now I pose a question to my readers. Act 2 might take a bit of time to edit, but hopefully not too long. It just might not be up for a few days, maybe a week. So should I post Act 2 in this story - which admittedly is a bit short as just one act - or post it in a new one?)


	7. Once Upon a Time

_Act 2: The Rebel Kings_

(A/N: And so begins Act 2, the first couple chapters of which will be some background. This is a pretty lengthy one, and I'm crunched for time, so I haven't edited it as well as I usually like to. Hopefully there aren't too many errors. On another note, I may go back to Act 1 and switch around some wording in one of the chapters to try and make it clearer who's speaking when, but it'll pretty well stay the same except possibly clearer description. Reviews are much appreciated. Thank you to everyone who takes time to review, and to everyone who takes time to read for that matter. It means a lot.)

Once Upon a Time…

Secrets played a huge part in our downfall, I think. There were a lot of secrets… Not only from the knights, but from others involved with us. Oh yeah, a lot of secrets… Perhaps ultimately it was secrets that killed us all. Wasn't a person, wasn't an event, it was secrets. Secrets and really, really horrible judgement calls…

 _"_ _He's your son!" Morgause—aka Anna—crooned victoriously, wickedly laughing. Arthur gaped in horror and fear, stunned, and the little boy at his side was as white as a sheet._

I grimace at the memory, pain coming to my eyes. I never realized how much I hated secrets until right this moment. What you want to hear, though, is my story, not my inner musings. Why would my inner thoughts matter anyway? Then again, you're hearing me, so either you're crazy, bored to death, or actually care. I doubt the latter is the reason you're sticking around to listen to my explanation as to how the hell things got so horribly screwed up that it brought about the end of the Knights of the Round Table and my powerful—at least so people are saying—reign.

War is hell. Nobody reserves the right to say anything different. Nobody reserves the right to call it glorious. It's hell, plain and simple. The swords have stopped clashing. Guess everyone's dead or finally realized that hey, our military leaders are kind of sort of dead or on their last legs. About damn time. Ugh, now the silence is deafening… Now I'd give anything to hear some sort of sound… I hate feeling alone… I blame that on ending up with friends virtually overnight. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but when the ball got rolling, it happened quick… It would take books upon books to tell our story, I think… Most probably wouldn't even get it totally right. I likely don't have the kind of time left to me to tell it all, but maybe my life flashing before my eyes is actually moving faster than I think it is and it's only been a second or a minute in the real world. Lost track long ago.

We all changed so much back then… Kay wasn't always a rude jerk and creep like in the legends, Gareth wasn't always what the stories say, noble and good. Oh yeah, we all changed _big_ time, some for better some for worse… I kind of wish we _hadn't_ … Well, at least in some instances. In others, not so much. It was just all… it was confusing. It was hard. It was sometimes painful. Guess that's all part of growing up, though. Man, getting old sucks…

 **Chapter 1: Once Upon a Time**

 _Once upon a time, in a land Far, Far Away, there lived a young king. Though vain and arrogant, he was just; often cold and self-absorbed, yet fair also and much loved by his people._

 _Under his rule there was peace. No enemy dared cross him, for he had many allies and friends and was counted among the most skilled warriors in all the land._

 _However, despite all he possessed and all the power he held, he was spoiled. His own comforts meant more to him than anything else, and though he ruled with a strict yet merciful hand, it was his interests that he pursued more than anything else…_

 _Until one day the mighty Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, who long had held war with the king, came to his land to discuss talks of peace…_

KAK

"Gorlois," the King greeted coldly, his best knights as his back in case of treachery.

"Uther," Gorlois greeted equally as icily. "I look forward to our peace talks. I'm hopeful they shall lead to an outcome we'll both be happy with."

"I'm sure you… I'm hopeful for the same," Uther replied, biting back a condescending remark. To his chagrin he had to be professional about this, not petulant.

Gorlois nodded. "Allow me to introduce to thee mine wife," he said. "Igraine, Duchess of Cornwall and Lady of Tintagel." He gestured behind him and Uther looked up as into the hall walked what had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon. His lips slowly parted as she approached gracefully with her train, and as her dark eyes fell on him his mouth went dry. In that moment, he was lost.

KAK

 _With him he brought his wife, the fair Igraine; but when the young monarch laid eyes upon her, he desired her more than anything he had ever desired before._

KAK

"I must have her! I'll do whatever it takes, Fairy Godmother, just give her to me, please! Let me win her," Uther begged of the fae.

"The answer is no! Mark my words, if you pursue this woman you will live to regret it! She was never meant for you, Uther, remember it," the Fairy Godmother answered. "And if you keep up this silly notion of yours, you can forget about my having any further part in your lives. Don't test me, my dear, I'm warning you. You don't want to cross the Fair Folk." Uther was quiet, head bowed. "Let her go, child. It's for the best," Fairy Godmother said, voice markedly softer as she cupped the young ruler's cheek gently.

"No," Uther replied, glaring up at the fairy woman and turning his back on her, marching away and leaving her in shock, eyes wide. What now? This young king had never refused a single thing she'd ever told him! Scowling, the Fairy Godmother seethed. Fine. If Uther wanted to play that game, so be it. He would soon find her threats were far from idle. She was done with him. Done until the day he gave this whole silly thing up.

KAK

 _Ignoring the warnings of the Fairy Godmother, the king attempted to woo the Duchess from her husband; however, Igraine was a good and loyal woman, and at every turn his advances were refused. When she began to find herself developing feelings for him in turn, she knew it was time to leave._

 _It wasn't long before the lady went to her husband and told him of the king's desires. Outraged and afraid for his wife's safety, the Duke of Tintagel took her and all his company, and under the cover of darkness fled. It was not, however, mere lust that the noble king had felt for the wife of his enemy…_

 _When news came to him of Igraine's fleeing with her husband, he sent word to them insisting they return. He desired to apologize for his behavior and make amends, if only because it meant she would stay a little longer. However, the good Duke and his Duchess refused the summons, and so in spite and anger the young king called for war…_

KAK

The swords clanged in the rain storm as lighting thundered in the background and horses screeched as well as men. Many a young knight fell in that skirmish on both sides, but Gorlois's forces were no match for Uther's. The Duke of Cornwall and Lord of Tintagel knew the King would be victorious. "You want me to what?!" Igraine exclaimed in shock.

"Ride to our castle in Tintagel as quickly as you can! Stay there until this battle is done. Hide yourself there, you and our children all. I'll hold the line here for as long as possible. When he comes to me, maybe I'll be able to reason with him," Gorlois said.

"He'll kill you!" she exclaimed in fear.

"He's already overdo," Gorlois replied with a bitter laugh.

"Gorlois!" she exclaimed. He cut her off with a passionate kiss. He drew back, leaving her breathless.

"I won't have him take you or our children as spoils of war. Go Igraine, quickly. I love you," he said. "Protect them." He turned to their four children, three of which were watching in wide-eyed uncertainty and one of whom was only an infant.

"Papa, no! Don't make me leave you!" their only son protested in fear, terrified for his parent. He had always been a daddy's boy.

"You must, Cador. You have to protect your sisters and your mother, and you must be there to take over my throne if the worst happens," Gorlois said, not mincing words. "I promise I will do all I can to return to you alive. I love you. All of you."

"We love you too daddy," one of the girls tearfully said. Elaine.

"Now ride. Hurry!" Gorlois insisted, hugging his children one last time then shooing them off to Igraine. Fearfully Igraine gathered her children together and ushered them away.

KAK

Uther watched over the battlefield with tears in his eyes, feeling sick to the heart. He held his hair tightly. He hadn't meant for such death to come about for this! He had expected Gorlois to back down immediately! It seemed he had greatly underestimated the other, and he was paying for it now with what might possibly be the worst mistake of his entire life; and he was loathe to call _anything_ he did a mistake. He had considered ordering a retreat, many times in fact, but every time he was about to do so, either stubborn and stupid pride got in the way, or thoughts of Igraine sprang to mind… Igraine… He got what he wanted. Always.

Now they pressed on the Duke of Cornwall's land. It wouldn't be much longer, but the things he was feeling were not things he understood or was familiar with. He felt physically ill. He didn't like that feeling. Maybe there was a way to stop this before anyone else died? The Fairy Godmother. She would help. She must! She had never refused him anything, or rarely did. Surely she would help him win Igraine without further death if he only pled a little more! Or offered a bargain, though he knew it wasn't exactly smart to make a deal with the fae. "Stop the charge!" Uther ordered his officers. "We rest for the night." And perhaps for many more nights to come. All too willingly the officers rode to call down their men for the time. Uther turned his horse and galloped away to find the Fairy Godmother.

KAK

 _As the battle raged, the noble king fell ill for longing of Igraine; but when he went to the Fairy Godmother to plead her help once more, she turned her back on him._

 _Greatly the king despaired, until a knight of his house by the name of Ulfius came to him and asked what ailed him._

 _When the king told him of his love for the Duchess and of the Fairy Godmother's refusal to help, Ulfius rode out with a promise he would find someone who_ _would_ _…_

KAK

Ulfius rode rapidly through the land, seeking a powerful wizard of whom he had heard. He would find this wizard and bring him back to his friend and master. The wizard would help Uther. He _had_ to. Soon he came upon a man clad in the garb of a beggar, nearly running him down. "Apologies, beggar, but I'm seeking someone who will be able to help my king," he said to the man.

"Are you now? No excuse for nearly running decent folk down, I think. Eh, whatever. Who am I to judge? Now, who do you seek, sir knight?" the beggar asked the knight.

"Who I seek is none of your business," Ulfius answered, dubiously eyeing the eccentric old man.

"A pity. I know who you're looking for, you know," the beggar said.

"Oh do you?" Ulfius incredulously asked.

"Yep," the old man answered.

Ulfius sighed. "Then who do I seek?" he questioned, slightly annoyed.

"Why you seek Merlin, of course! Why are you asking? You would know better than me who you're looking for," the beggar answered. Ulfius face-palmed, shaking his head. Oh boy, _this_ would be interesting. "Ah well, you need seek no farther, for I am he, he is I, all that there nonsense." Wait, what? Ulfius sharply looked up, eyes wide. "You've come on behalf of Uther Pendragon, haven't you? Well have _I_ got news for _you_. See, if King Uther will reward me and give me my heart's desire, it'll be to his honour and profit more than mine I should think. I'll grant him whatever he wants. I ask nothing more than a promise. Now ride on, friend. I won't be far behind. Shoo. Off with you."

KAK

 _It was not long before Ulfius found the man he was looking for, a wise and tricky old wizard by the name of Merlin who agreed to help, Ulfius rode back to the king with the news, and not long after, Merlin arrived and told Uther his price._

KAK

"Alright kid, here's the deal. You ride away from this battle, head to the place this Gorlois guy hid his wife. That's his castle in Tintagel, since I'm guessing you don't know. I'm going to use my magic and make you look like Gorlois, and you just go right on up into her room. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, you're in, just like that. Don't worry about Gorlois. Good family man but not the brightest in the bunch. He won't survive the battle," Merlin said.

"How are you sounding so casual about this man's death?!" Uther demanded.

"Because there's crap all _I_ can do about it, or believe me I would. Would save us all a lot of future grief. Besides, given he's good as dead already, you won't have the guilt of knowing you're dancing the dance with another man's wife," Merlin replied.

Uther looked less than impressed. "And in exchange?" he warily asked.

Merlin smirked mysteriously. "You give me whatever I ask. You'll know what that is when the times comes," he replied.

"I'd prefer to know now," Uther stated.

"Take the deal or leave it. Take it you get Igraine. Leave it you don't. Simple as that," Merlin said. Uther shifted uneasily.

KAK

 _Blindly the king accepted the price, sick for love of Igraine, and with specific instruction Merlin devised a plan of a most cunning nature._

 _Obeying the wizard to the letter, the monarch rode to the castle of Tintagel in which the lady had been placed; but Gorlois had seen the king riding away from battle and had grown suspicious._

 _Fearing the young king's plot, the Duke followed him and was slain as he attempted to pass through the enemy army. By Merlin's magic the king was made to appear as Gorlois, and so he went in to Igraine that night, and with her he conceived a child, three hours after the death of her husband._

 _When the fair maid heard of her Lord's death, she became stricken with grief and locked herself away, refusing all company. Realizing that the man she had been with had not been her husband, she wondered at who the stranger was; but though she sought the answers desperately, none were found._

KAK

She lay on her bed brokenly, mourning the loss of her husband. Cador hadn't left his room since news had come of his father's death. Morgause had been eerily silent. Elaine had wept, and Morgan, still very young, had only wailed on sensing the distress of her family. Igraine hadn't spoken to any of the children. She knew she should, her babies needed her, but so much else was on her mind. Gorlois's death, the man who had come to her in his form and slept with her… Who had he been, if not Gorlois? She couldn't hate him entirely, she supposed. At least for that night she had had the comfort of believing her husband was still alive and holding her in his arms. A sort of twisted last goodbye, but it had been disturbingly reassuring.

"Mama? I want to go home," she heard her son say from her bedroom door. She turned her head to look at him. He seemed so solemn. So much older than a child his age should seem… As if his father's death had torn from him all childish innocence… And it hurt. It hurt so very badly to see him like this…

"Come here, darling," she said. He approached her and sat on her bedside. She pulled him down to lay next to her. He fidgeted slightly, he was of the opinion he was too old to share his mother's bed, but soon settled and lay still, snuggling closer to her and beginning to cry. "We'll go home, Cador. We'll go home," she promised. After she comforted her son, she had three daughters she needed to comfort as well. Only two weeks after they had returned home, the message came…

KAK

 _In time, the young king sent for the Lady and pled her hand in marriage, and though she knew it was because of him her husband was gone, she had not been entirely disenchanted with Uther herself._

 _The Lady accepted the king's offer, and he took her as his bride when her public mourning was done, and the palace echoed with rejoicing. But all was not well._

 _Soon it came to be known that Igraine was pregnant, and the young king begged her to tell him who the father of the child had been. Ashamed, she would not answer, but he vowed to her that if she spoke the truth, he would love her all the more._

 _She told him of the man who had come to her as her husband, and of how she had lain with him and conceived the child. When she finished, Uther told her the truth of what he had done, that it was with he she had lain that night they beget the infant._

 _In knowing who the father of her unborn was, Igraine found joy and relief once more. Her eldest daughter though, Morgause, felt only disgust, jealousy, and hatred…_

 _In bitterness and anger the young girl left her mother and Uther's kingdom and fled to Lothian and Orkney. There, though still inexcusably young, she wed the young crown prince Lot, with whom she had long been infatuated. But though Lot loved Anna dearly, her father's death had left her cold and unfeeling and resentful, and love and mercy ceased to exist in her heart…_

 _Morgause hated the child growing within her mother and desired with all her heart that it would not make it; but should it survive, she vowed to herself that for as long as Uther and his line continued, she would make them suffer._

 _Longing to obtain the throne she felt was her right, she worked to elevate her husband in Uther's eyes and guarantee his succession to the throne upon the king's death, should the child Igraine carried not survive, and so she did not intend for it to live… But the wizard Merlin had foreseen her plotting, and his own plan was already in play._

KAK

Uther paced restlessly. It was coming on the final month of Igraine's pregnancy and he was more than a little worried for her. And for the unborn baby. A father. He was going to be a father?! What nonsense was this? He could hardly believe this was happening to him. He was still so young. Could he even _be_ any sort of decent father? He had no clue what he was doing. He willed himself to take a breath. He had to trust in himself and in Igraine. They would manage the situation. She'd born and raised four children before already. Childbirth and rearing wasn't anything new to her. She'd be able to help him through it.

"My King?" a voice said. Uther turned to the one who had spoken.

"Brastias?" Uther greeted curiously.

"The wizard has come. Merlin," Brastias uneasily stated, and all color in Uther's face drained. The deal. He'd forgotten about the deal! Inwardly he cursed and panicked before getting a grip. He would figure this out, he assured himself. He was good at making deals, finding loopholes, and backing out of them. It came naturally to him for… reasons.

"Well what are you waiting for?! Show him in," Uther replied. Brastias bowed then left.

Soon the old wizard walked in cheerfully whistling. "Quite a place you've got here," he said, looking around.

"Isn't it, though. I have the most impeccable taste. Now what do you want?" Uther demanded.

"What do I want? Well I just wanted to remind you of our little bargain, is all. Nothing malicious, kid," Merlin replied.

Uther's jaw twitched. "What do you want?" he finally dared repeat.

Merlin smirked a sly little smirk and answered, "I want your child to be given to me immediately upon its birth."

"What? I never agreed to that!" Uther replied.

"You promised you'd give me whatever I desired if I helped you. Well, I desire your kid," Merlin replied.

"I would sooner put you to death!" Uther shot, drawing his sword.

"Oh boy, should have seen this coming. Eh, what can you do? Look, I know you're getting second thoughts, but a deal's a deal. Besides, it's for the boy's own protection! There's plotting afoot. I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy in your kingdom, a good man, who'll care for your baby and love him dearly. Just trust me, okay?"

"You're asking me to give up my only child! To a crazy old coot who's heard from a friend of a friend about a man who could take care of the heir to the throne!" Uther snapped. "The child will be safest with me, don't you understand?"

"Look kid, hate to be the bearer of bad news but war's looming on the horizon. That King Claudas fellow you've been fighting on and off with? Yeah. He's set his sites on your buddies Kings Ban and Bors, and their brother Nestor. Won't act for a while, but he _will_ act. You want your kid to be at risk? If Claudas wins, it'll be taken captive and made his slave you know. Your wife too," Merlin said. "The baby will be safest with the guy I have in mind."

"How can you know this?!" Uther demanded, hostility becoming unease.

"Because I have history with the Lady of the Lake! Ooh she's a fiery one. Meow," Merlin said, nudging Uther and laughing. Uther gave him a disgusted look, wiping off the place the wizard had touched as if wiping off grime. "Point is, you really want to take a chance with your baby's life and your kingdom?"

Uther was silent. It scared him, how much a point Merlin had made… "Very well," he finally relented. But he didn't intend to stay away from his baby long. If he was victorious, he _would_ go get his child back.

"Great! I'll be there the day the babe's born," Merlin said. "You'll know when I'm here."

"I'm sure," Uther deadpanned. Merlin smirked and walked out whistling and twirling his staff around.

KAK

 _The King conceded to put his child into Merlin's care, but in his heart he lied, and no word that he spoke did he intend to keep. All he said was deceit, and he listened only to humor the wizard, for he did not desire to give up his infant forever._

 _In time the queen gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, but while she lay sleeping, exhausted from the delivery, the infant was taken and given to the king. He wrapped the newborn in a golden cloth and delivered the babe to Merlin, but as he did he promised to himself that he would get the child back one day and give him into his mother's arms again._

 _In silence and quiet rage, he watched as the wizard shuffled away with the squealing infant in his arms, and for the first time in a very long time, the vain monarch felt a love and longing stirring in his breast with which he was not familiar. For the first time in a very long time, it was not of himself that he was thinking…_

KAK

Knocking sounded heavy on the door. The young man inside approached it, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was more than a little perturbed at being disturbed so early, but he would check his tongue and be sure to respectfully greet the visitor. He opened the door and nearly slammed it shut again. "Merlin!" he exclaimed in shock.

"Ector!" Merlin said as if they were the best of friends. Which they weren't. Ector barely tolerated his co-worker's presence. He gaped at the wizard in disbelief. "I've brought you a present."

"A what?" Ector asked, still trying to fully wake up. He awoke alright; when Merlin shoved the newborn, still wrinkly and half blind, in front of his face. Ector's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. "A _baby_?! Are you out of your mind, man?" he exclaimed.

"Nope. He's all yours," Merlin replied.

"But-but I already _have_ a son!" Ector exclaimed. "What on earth do I want with another one?"

Merlin's expression became serious, and Ector stiffened. If Merlin was suddenly serious and focused, this was indeed severe. "He is destined for something great. Greater than you can imagine. But he's in danger, so I'm bringing him to you now for his own protection."

"What?" Ector breathed.

"Don't ask questions, kid. I have no answers for you," Merlin said. "Look, just take it already! Raise him as your own. You're a right good man, loyal and true. You have the king's ear for crying out loud! You're one of his dearest friends. There's no one I'd sooner entrust the child's care to. Well, there is, but eh, what can you do? Just don't tell the king about this and all's well that ends well! Well what are you waiting for? Say hello to your new bouncing baby boy!" Ector looked at the child in numb disbelief, but as the little eyes flickered faintly open, so confused and lost, Ector's heart melted. He reached out, tenderly taking the tiny babe from Merlin's arms and holding him close. Softly he grinned down at it. When he looked back up to address Merlin once more, the wizard was gone…

KAK

 _Merlin brought the child to a young lord by the name of Ector, to be nourished by Ector's wife alongside the nobleman's own son, Kay. There the little one remained and was raised by the family, and the name given him by his foster father and mother was Arthur._

 _The Queen and her children were told the infant had died in birth, and though Uther despised the lie, something within him warned him to tell them nothing else for fear of his son's life. The longer Igraine pined, the more guilt that weighed upon the king until finally he could keep silent no longer._

 _Obtaining her solemn vow to tell her children nothing, he let her know her child was alive. Though she begged, he would tell her nothing else, and in time the young king was called to war with the enemy king Claudas. Uther rode to battle, leaving Lot of Orkney to supervise the throne in his absence, and Morgause sat triumphant in her belief that upon Uther's death, she would sit as queen._

 _The king rode into battle and emerged, triumphant in keeping the enemy from his own land… But he was unable to save the kingdoms of the friends whom he had ridden to help… The guilt he felt for his failure took away the joy he felt for protecting Camelot, but it didn't matter long, for his victory was short-lived. Uther, on his way home, stopped to drink at a spring, unaware of the liquid death poured into the water…_

 _It was only a little while before the young king became ill to the point of death, struck speechless and almost motionless for three days. Grief and darkness covered the land. Realizing his time was short, dread seized his heart. No one knew their ruler had born an heir. Unless someone was put upon the throne to act as regent until the day Arthur came of age, a power vacuum would open on his death; but for lack of trust in Anna, he would not place Lot on the throne._

 _Again, Merlin was sought, and again he came. When he arrived, he told the barons there was no hope. If the king survived it would not be to return to the throne, for that was not his destiny; but the wizard vowed to them that he would have the king speak and give his people hope again, before it was too late._

KAK

"Sir, shall your son Arthur be king of this land after your death?" Merlin questioned, and all those gathered about Uther's bed were shocked speechless. The king had had an _heir_?!

Uther's eyes flickered weakly open and fell on Merlin. For a moment, he was silent. Soon, though, he answered, "I give him the gods' blessing and mine, and bid him pray for my soul. May he take up the crown righteously and with nobleness." With those words Uther's eyes closed again, and this time they would not open…

Mourning was made, and all men left the room say for Merlin alone, who remained looking sadly down at the still body. Suddenly there was a sparkling of light, and in the room materialized the Fairy God Mother, grief in her eyes. "Finally you come?" Merlin bit slightly coldly.

"Oh can it, you old coot. You know precisely why I stayed away," she replied. She turned to the dying king again, watching him, then sighed. "But I can't stay away from this…" She began to wave her wand over the young man lying so still.

"What are you doing to him?" Merlin suspiciously questioned.

"Making him forget," Fairy God Mother replied.

"You can't…" Merlin began.

"Watch me!" she sharply snapped at him. "You've had your games, Merlin. Now I get to have mine. There are plans I too need to see through. Don't worry. Hope will remain. After all, I specialize in happily ever after."

"Under very strict and unfair conditions," Merlin deadpanned, glaring at her.

She shot him a sharp and annoyed look before rolling her eyes and turning back to the young king. Softly Uther moaned and the spell began its work. "There, there. You're alright, my darling. I'm here now, and soon all will be well again…" Merlin inwardly scoffed at this, glaring at her coldly. Somehow, he doubted her definition of 'all will be well' was in line with his or even the king's. Or anyone's, for that matter. Shaking his head, he turned and walked away.

KAK

 _With her magic, the Fairy God Mother drew the king back from death; but there was a price to her sparing him. His life would be forgotten, everything from Igraine onward; his child, his friends, even his reign. He would live anew in another land far away, and there he would live out the story she had purposed for him long ago._

 _Lot was refused the throne and forced to flee to Duloc. There he rose through the ranks to become the Captain of the Guard, until the day came that he would take his father's throne in Lothian and Orkney. Sure enough a power vacuum opened in the land, upon Uther's death, but hope was given in the form of a sword in a stone and anvil, a sign that would mark who the true king of all the land would be. Until then, though, another needed to be set as ruler._

 _It happened at the Fairy God Mother's bidding, who heard the plea of a lowly frog that had fallen in love with a beautiful princess by the name of Lillian, a much older sister of the fair Igraine._

 _With the Fairy God Mother's help combined with Merlin's manipulations, soon enough it was Lillian and the frog king who were seated upon the throne as mediators. There they would remain until the time the true king would be revealed and take his rightful place. The king and queen alone knew who it would one day be, but they were bidden to never share it with anyone, and so the fate of the kingdom remained veiled in mystery until the day the sword was pulled from the stone. When that day came, Anna set to her schemes and plans once more, her new target in mind…_

 _Three daughters were born of Igraine, and one son. Elaine wed Nentres, the young King of Garlot, and Anna wasted no time in introducing her husband to his brother-in-law and urging him to forge an alliance. Years later, when the youth Uriens was newly crowned King of Gore and had wed the maiden Morgan le Fay, she did the same. In the meantime, Lot made many other allies and, of his own devising, began outlining his own vengeful plans for the boy king Arthur._

 _With Anna's encouragement, it was not long before a plot of rebellion was put into action, and the rebel kings began their march as one…_


	8. The Sword in the Stone

The Sword in the Stone

(A/N: Another background chapter, but next chapter we're back to present day. There are a few names dropped here at one point, but most of them you don't really have to worry about remembering right now.)

They had known, the day he pulled the sword from the stone, that this boy was special. They had been grateful when they realized no one had seen but them. This boy of no more than twelve, this scrawny little abandoned orphan, had pulled the sacred sword Caliburn from the stone, and he had returned to the field to present it to his foster brother Kay, who was about to complete a final exam in _The Art of the Tournament_ so that he could get one step closer to being knighted early. Kay, knowing the sword for what it was, immediately brought it to Sir Ector with Arthur in tow. When Sir Ector saw the sword, he became shocked. There was panic. There was confusion. He demanded to know who had pulled it. Kay had tried to take credit, but when he was made by his father to swear the most binding oath that could be sworn, he admitted the truth. Admitted that the school punching bag had indeed pulled the sword from the stone. Before any other teacher could notice, or student, Ector had ushered the child back, in cover of the evening's dark, to the stone…

 _"_ _How did you get this sword?" Ector asked Arthur._

 _"_ _Sir, I'll tell you! When I came home to get Kay's sword, no one was there to bring it to me. I thought that my brother shouldn't be swordless and I remembered this one, so I came here to get it and pulled it out easily," Arthur replied._

 _"_ _Were there any knights nearby?" Ector asked._

 _"_ _No," said Arthur, confused._

 _"_ _Oh god…" Ector whispered._

 _"_ _Dad?" Kay, confused, asked._

 _"_ _Now I understand… Now it all makes sense," Ector murmured half to himself and half to them. He looked up. "Arthur, do you know what this means?"_

 _"_ _No," Arthur answered._

 _"_ _It means that one day soon you'll… you'll be king," Ector declared._

 _"_ _What?" Arthur asked. "I'm not a king. Why would it be me anyway? And for what cause?"_

 _"_ _Because it was prophesied years ago, child, that no one would ever be able to draw out this sword say for he that shall be rightwise king," Ector answered seriously. Kay and Arthur caught their breath, eyes widening. "Now let me see whether you can put the sword there as it was and pull it again."_

 _"_ _O-okay," Arthur uneasily replied._

He had made the boy insert it again. He and his son had each tried to pull it out, Kay stunned and confused. Neither father nor son could budge the blade, so they prodded Arthur forward. That child had taken hold of the hilt, clueless as to what it meant, and he had pulled. It slid from the anvil and stone as if it were a knife being withdrawn from soft butter, and the truth was known.

Immediately Ector, shaking with emotion, let out a gasping breath and bent his knee, kneeling to the ground before his foster son. Kay shifted uneasily but followed his father's lead nonetheless. Whatever was happening here, it didn't sit well with him. It would be best, he believed, to take cues from dad. Arthur looked at his father and brother, stunned. "Da, Kay, why are you kneeling to me? You don't need to! It's-it's just a sword, right? Right?!" No reply was given, but he saw that Ector seemed near tears. "P-papa?" he asked uneasily. Why did he look so near to crying? Fathers weren't supposed to cry in front of their kids! A naïve thought, perhaps, but at twelve could he really be blamed for thinking it? He had never seen papa cry before, or even come _near_ to tears. At least, not since mama…

"No, no, my Lord Arthur. It isn't so. I was never your father or of your blood!" Ector confessed, voice filled with emotion.

"Wh-what?" Arthur asked, voice barely a whisper. "What are you saying?! Dad…" Arthur pled.

"I see now you are of higher blood than I ever imagined you to be. Arthur, you were born of royalty," Ector said. Uther's son… There was no other explanation! Now it made sense why Merlin had brought Arthur to him, why the King had stayed with them so long, why it had taken him so long to say goodbye to the child when he'd left him at Worcestershire.

"What?!" Arthur exclaimed, afraid now.

"You were brought to me by Merlin, when you were only an infant. Newborn. He gave you into my hands and he told me to raise you as though you were my own… And I looked on you and loved you, and so I did… But I'm not your father, Arthur. Not by blood," he repeated.

Arthur staggered back, totally bowled over. He looked at Kay, hurt in his eyes. "And you… Did… did you know about this?" he asked his brother.

Kay's lips slowly parted before he closed them again, swallowing. Immediately he said, "You're my brother, Artie! That's all I care about. It doesn't matter if it's by blood or adoption because you're my brother! No matter what you're my brother, Wart."

"You _did_ know," Arthur said in numb realization.

"I… I'm so sorry…" Kay said in a whisper, shaking his head and hanging it low, closing his eyes tightly and gritting his teeth.

"Did… did my father… He dropped me at this school and abandoned me the first chance he got, didn't he…?" Arthur realized. There had been a man… It was a vague memory, but it was there. A memory of a man leaving him at the gates with Ector and Kay then riding away. How had he forgotten…?

"Arthur…" Ector began. He wanted to say that no, no the man hadn't abandoned him… Except he didn't know. Not for certain. Who was to say Uther ever would have come back anyway? He'd never know the answer now. Uther was long dead. He trailed off and drew in a shaky breath. "Forgive me," he said. "I understand, if you can't. I only beg that you remain my good and gracious lord, when you are king."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Arthur asked, the sword he held completely forgotten. He still didn't understand!

Ector closed his eyes tightly, swallowing. "You will one day be king, Arthur. I can't say it simpler than that. You wouldn't have been able to pull the sword from the stone otherwise," Ector declared again. Arthur looked at his foster father and brother, tears burning his eyes. His whole life had been a lie… They had made him believe they loved him! No, they _had_ loved him. How could he even start to think otherwise? They loved him… And he loved them with his everything… "Forgive me," Ector repeated again, bowing his head.

Arthur was silent. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask. He didn't think he was ready to ask them, though, not yet. He couldn't even comprehend the fact he was honest to goodness royalty! Father was scared… So was Kay. Scared he wouldn't forgive them. He didn't like seeing them scared. Not of him or what his reaction to this might be. "How could I do anything else?" Arthur finally asked. "You're the man I'm most bound to in all the world, the only father I ever knew… And your wife that nursed me like her own baby and loved me just as much, she was the only mother. And if I ever _do_ end up king, like you say, you can ask me anything and I'll give it to you. I'll make you proud, father. I won't fail you." He failed his birth father, it seemed. Even _he'd_ known what a loser his son would be, apparently. Why else would the man have left him like that and never come back? He didn't want to fail Ector because maybe then Ector would leave too and take Kay away. No! He wouldn't let it happen, he wouldn't!

"God forbid I should ever fail you either, my darling," said Sir Ector, rising and taking the frightened and shaken Arthur into his arms gently. "I will ask no more of you. Only that you make my son, your brother Kay, seneschal of all your lands when the time comes."

"I will, papa, I promise. I swear that no man will ever have that office but him while he and I are both alive," Arthur said, looking at his brother gently. Kay sobbed and rose, quickly moving to embrace Arthur along with Ector, relief washing over him.

KAK

Ector, Arthur, and Kay returned yet another time to the stone to witness the feat. This time they went along with two other staff members of the school; Sir Meliot and King Pellinore. As Arthur pulled the sword, there was silence. "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise King born of all England," Sir Meliot murmured finally. Ector was silent. Rightwise King born of all England… King of the Britons, more specifically. The term England was slightly misleading.

Kay looked uneasily at the teachers. The legend of the sword in the stone had been told many a time in Worcestershire. An extra credit assignment was, in fact, to try and pull it from the stone, though no one but the faculty seemed to take it seriously. They'd done it because they wanted the credit. They didn't get what it meant. They'd never been told why, just that it was the most important test in school and that no one would ever pass it except for one. At first, he hadn't gotten it, why give an impassable test? Now, though… now Kay was starting to see just how serious pulling the sword from the stone was.

When Ector had gone to Meliot and Pellinore claiming Arthur had pulled the sword, the two had been confused and puzzled. After all, how could that be when Arthur was no prince? On witnessing the feat for themselves, though, they realized that royal blood ran through his veins.

"The long-lost heir… He is the long-lost heir! All hail the king! Long live the king!" Pellinore, giddy, said out loud with a joyous laugh.

"But-but how _could_ I be King? I mean no one would even take me seriously! I'm the school punching bag. Even if I tried to rule, even if I showed them, what if they wouldn't hear me or listen? I don't understand. Papa…" Arthur, fearful, begged, turning beseechingly to Ector.

Ector gazed at him, silent. "All hail the future king," he finally replied, kneeling but giving no answer. Pellinore and Sir Meliot both followed his lead, Pellinore excited beyond containment, Meliot solemn. Kay, gazing at his frightened foster sibling in wonder, soon knelt as well. Wow. His brother was going to be the _king_ one day? No. That couldn't be. It didn't make sense! The King had an heir, the princess Fiona, so Arthur would never ascend to the position as long as Kind Harald and Fiona lived. This had to be just some huge drama thing that wouldn't take on any real meaning in the long run. Yeah. Let Arthur have his fifteen minutes of fame. They wouldn't last, which was too bad because Arthur deserved so much more than what he got… Of course, maybe some part of Kay just didn't want to believe it… Not because he was unhappy about it, just because, well, it was Wart. Seriously? Him ending up king? He'd be overthrown in a day and killed! Kay _really_ didn't want that to happen.

"I'm going to be king," Arthur said in wonder, looking at the blade. If this meant what he thought it meant… "This rocks!" he exclaimed, going very quickly from frightened to overjoyed. Now he could get one over on the jerks who always bullied him!

None of the adults answered. If only it were something so simple… One day he would be rule all the land… As Kay and Arthur excitedly talked, Kay praising his brother and Arthur playfully knighting him—god, did the boys even _understand_ what that meant? That it wasn't play and now Kay didn't even need to graduate to be a knight?—the teachers spoke amongst themselves.

"This _cannot_ get out until the day comes that he is to be taken and seated upon the throne," Meliot muttered to the other two adults. "Don't let him comprehend how serious this is. For his _own_ sake and protection. Downplay it as best you can."

"The news will not spread as far as we can help it," Pellinore promised.

"I'll deal with my son and Arthur when I have the chance," Ector assured. Meliot nodded.

King Pellinore rose and plunged his own sword into the rock. He turned to Arthur and Kay, both of whom were silent now. They had noticed the seriousness of the teachers. "No one must know you were able to remove Caliburn, Arthur," Pellinore stated.

"What? Why?" Arthur asked.

"Because it's too soon," Meliot answered for the other. "If they knew, then you wouldn't be safe, and you would be tormented even more than you are now."

Arthur, confused and worried now, answered, "But they would have to respect me! They couldn't do anything to me. I'm going to be their king."

"Your very life hangs in the balance, my son. Listen to us," Ector seriously said. "As far as the other students know, this means nothing more than your becoming the guaranteed Homecoming and Prom king." Arthur shifted uneasily. Kay as well looked worried. By the time the stone was left alone once more, Arthur had gone back to giddy and excited, playfully knighting Ector who remained serious, before leaving with his foster family.

KAK

Principal Pynchley had laughed. So had Professor Primbottom. So had most of the other staff. None of the faculty could take the notion Arthur was king seriously, say for only a very small handful. This handful included Mr. Merlin, King Bors de Ganis the Elder, King Bagdemagus, Sir Morholt, King Galehaut, Sir Villiers, Sir Gromere, Sir Galleron, Bishop Baudwin, Sir Ulfius, and Sir Brastias. A few others may have believed as well, but those remained silent. Aside from them, no one bought it for a second.

It was only because Ulfius, Brastias, and Baudwin had been among Uther's most trusted knights and friends that they believed. They had seen the infant Uther had born with Igraine. They had been privy to the plot. They knew who this boy was, oh how well they knew, but Arthur could never know who his father had been until the time was right. In the meantime, they would do whatever it took to keep him safe. Galehaut, for his part, believed Arthur had withdrawn the sword but knew nothing of his relation to Uther. Instead he privately raged to hear that a boy of no high birth was to become king. It was laughable! So how the boy had been able to pull the sword he couldn't fathom, and he was disgusted by it. "If he's king, let's see him withdraw it again," Primbottom challenged.

"I will not hold my son up to further ridicule or risk his safety," Ector hissed, hands protectively on Arthur's shoulders. Arthur was looking down ashamedly.

"Then you're a shameful liar and he'll be ridiculed regardless," Pynchley huffed. Ector was silent.

"One day you'll see, Pynchley. And then you'll rue the day you doubted," Pellinore coldly stated. With that, he, Ector, and Meliot left with Arthur despite Pynchley's flustered protests…

KAK

That could have been the end of it. It was so _close_ to being. Fate it seemed, though, cared even less for Arthur than his schoolmates and teachers did. "Caliburn has been pulled! Caliburn has been pulled!" Primbottom freaked out, bursting into Worcestershire in the middle of an assembly one day. "Someone has pulled the sword from the stone!"

Pynchley, stunned, looked sharply at Arthur. Arthur tensed, eyes widening, and shifted uncomfortably. "All of you outside! Now!" the principal ordered.

Quickly enough they were all there, gathered around the stone that had for so long been a source of mystery to them. It had always seemed more a decoration than anything, a symbol of Worcestershire pride, but to see the faculty acting like _this_ about a missing blade? It unnerved them. Perhaps there had been something to the story after all… In his hand, Meliot held the imposter weapon. He didn't speak. He was in hot water, at the moment. More than hot water, boiling oil. At least he had covered up the fact it was Pellinore's sword, otherwise the vice-principal would have been in as much trouble as _him_ , if not more. "Did you pull it, Meliot?" Primbottom demanded.

"We told you who it was that pulled it," Meliot answered. He wanted to avoid saying the name. He wanted them to send all the students back in except for Arthur and deal with things from there. For Arthur's sake, the students couldn't know! If it spread, if it got out that Arthur was the of royal blood and may one day be king… Meliot dreaded to think of all the possibilities. It could gain Arthur respect maybe, or it could make him an even bigger target to bullies and hecklers and, he shuddered subtly, assassins. Maybe, just maybe, they could rely on the student belief that the blade was just a marker for prom king. It might save face.

"Sacrilege!" Pynchyley shouted at Meliot.

Primbottom spun on the students. "Who holds Caliburn?!" he demanded furiously. No one moved, looking very uneasy. "Who has Caliburn?!" he demanded louder. No answer. The enraged Professor reached out angrily, seizing a boy named Lucan, who gasped. His brother Bedivere and cousin Griflet tried to reach out and pull him back, but he was out of their grasp. A faculty member, Galehaut in fact, held a sword in front of them to keep them from lunging. Now wasn't the time for the boys to step in. They couldn't do anything if they wanted to anyway. Not without severe consequences. "Tell me who has it!" Pynchley yelled, seizing Lucan from Primbottom and shaking him roughly.

"I don't know, sir, I don't know!" Lucan insisted frantically. "No one I know has it!"

"Then you?!" the principal demanded, knowing full well Lucan's smarts. The boy was a genius, putting it lightly. A protégé really.

"No, not me!" Lucan insisted with a fearful sob, eyes wide. He didn't understand, _no_ one understood, why the faculty was so up in arms about a sword that dictated who would be the king of the student body or whatever the heck it symbolized. They had only rumors to go on. Never before had they seen the portly principal so incensed or so violent. Usually he was jovial and cheerful, often bordering on lazy and nonchalant. This man holding him now? It was someone totally new. Someone he didn't know how to deal with. _None_ of them.

Arthur, unwilling to watch another kid be singled out anymore, reacted. "I have it, Principal Pynchley!" he said, stepping forth in an effort to save Lucan from the angry principal's grasp. "See?" he stated, pulling it from its sheath and holding it out. "It has the engraved letters and everything so you know it's real. I have the sword."

Murmuring immediately began, then full-blown laughter and heckling and taunting and pushing. Lucan was looking at Arthur in shock, eyes wide and pleading. Was this dork—and given he himself was considered a total geek, he was one to talk, but seriously, Arthur was the biggest loser in existence as far as everyone in this nightmare school was concerned—actually stepping forward to try and save him? Was he actually risking the ridicule and humiliation that went with it? He was a braver guy than he'd given him credit for. And suddenly more interesting and puzzling. Bedivere and Griflet were looking at Arthur in disbelief. Lucan was thrust back into them with a yelp. They caught their relative and pulled him quickly next to them, glaring at Primbottom icily and warningly. If the man tried that again, he'd be having problems. Bedivere was large. Very large. He was, in fact, a member of the jousting team, and those guys _all_ had each other's backs. Plus, he was best friends with Kay, and this even _despite_ Kay's general distaste for the jousting team. Kay wasn't exactly slight of build either, and he was all too willing to follow Bedivere into any battle that may crop up.

KAK

Ector was inside the school with the other faculty who had dared believe and support the story of Arthur's pulling the sword. On the day they had announced the future heir to the rest of the staff, all the ones who had taken Arthur's side had been estranged from the other teachers. Except Galehaut and Baudwin. Galehaut had believed but hadn't supported the claim, and had in fact been up in arms. Baudwin held a lot of sway in Worcestershire and tended its chapel. The other staff couldn't afford to isolate him. They'd been giving Baudwin the cold shoulder, but that was about it. They certainly hadn't been running him off whenever he approached them, like they did to others.

Ector was grading papers while eating and planning out the next class. It was then that they heard the laughter and the booing and the heckling. Ector frowned. What was going on? He looked towards the window and rose, walking to it. He looked down on the courtyard and all the color drained from his face, his eyes widening and filling with fear and alarm. Arthur! Oh gods. They'd discovered the sword wasn't Caliburn! He gasped and turned to race down to the courtyard, leaving the others baffled.

Ector made it outside just as Pynchley snatched Caliburn from Arthur and struck him across the face for his 'theft from the true king'. "Pynchley!" Ector furiously began, stepping forward. Two prominent and powerful staff members, the Green Knight Pertilope and the Red Knight Permones, put their swords in front of Sir Ector, keeping him from reaching his son. Slowly Ector looked up from the blades towards his foster child, who now looked terrified. This time, though, Arthur wasn't so much terrified for himself as he was for Ector.

From the crowd, Kay's eyes widened in fear. "Dad!" he cried out.

"Stay there!" Ector ordered, seeing Kay about to come. Kay froze and didn't dare move again. The jousting team was near. _Too_ near to risk trying to go to his father and foster brother. Despite his friendship with Bedivere—and he knew Bedivere would follow him if he acted—he still tended to want to stay off the jousting team's radar. Not only for his own safety, but for Arthur's.

"It'll be okay, right?" a boy of Arthur's age asked Kay. Hoel was his name. He was Arthur's maternal cousin by blood, which Ector had assured Arthur of after his confession that he and Kay weren't actually his father and brother. Hoel was a bit of a nerd. Okay, he was a lot a nerd, right up there with Xavier and Gary, but despite that he looked frantic to step in and in fact seemed _about_ to.

"I don't know. But don't step in," Kay answered. Hoel looked fearfully over at him. Kay shook his head solemnly. Now wasn't the time to play hero for Arthur. Hoel swallowed and bowed his head, but accepted the warning wordlessly.

Pynchley turned to Arthur again. "How did you get that?" he asked again. Arthur stayed quiet. He yelped as the principal struck him again.

"You bastard!" Pellinore freaked, shoving his way through the crowds and violently seizing Pynchley's arm, roughly spinning him to face him. "You have _no_ right to strike that boy! How dare you put your hands on a student?!"

"I'm gentler to him than the wolves would be," Pynchley replied, gesturing to the students. Most of which did indeed look cagey, and more than a little bloodthirsty in some cases. Pellinore silently, and disappointedly, observed them, shaking his head bitterly. Pynchley was right… They wanted Arthur in their midst again. They wanted to tear him apart. His eyes drifted over the crowd and fell on his own five sons. None of them appeared to be swayed either way. They didn't seem to want Arthur's blood, but they weren't inclined to help him either. In fact, they would every so often smirk at a cruel remark if a student or friend near them nudged them and insulted Arthur in their ears. For which he intended to lecture them most thoroughly when he got a moment. Against his better judgement, he released Pynchley's arm and met the eyes of his sons. His children instantly looked ashamed and bowed their heads guiltily.

 _Too late for that now, boys._

Pynchley harrumphed then jammed the sword Caliburn back into the anvil with a pout. "Tell us who the king is or so help us you'll be locked in a dungeon for a fortnight if not longer!" Primbottom demanded of Arthur, interrogating him. Arthur was silent.

"Oh for goodness sakes, pull it out, Primbottom. The enchantment is probably broken now. We'll never know who pulled it anymore," Pynchley ordered the Professor.

Primbottom growled under his breath but turned to obey. He grasped the hilt of Caliburn and tried to pull… but the sword wouldn't be moved. He started. "Sir, it won't be budged," Primbottom stated.

"What?" Pynchley asked. He went to it, pulling as well. His eyes widened. Nothing. Sharply he turned to Arthur, eyes narrowed. "Come. Here," he darkly said. Arthur, shaking, approached uneasily, eyes wide and fearful. "They say you drew the sword from the stone. Well, now is your chance to prove it. Have at it. Show us you're the king."

KAK

Arthur honestly felt more like bursting into tears than pulling a sword. No one was there. No one was standing up for him, and those who had at least half-heartedly attempted to _couldn't_ anymore. He wanted to disappear. Forget the stupid sword in the stone and anvil. Nonetheless, he took a breath and went to it. He wrapped his hand around the hilt and paused. A hush had fallen over the crowd. Tears burned Arthur's eyes as he looked at it. He wanted to pull it. Then they'd see. They'd _all_ see! He was worth something. He wasn't just the orphaned loser, he wasn't! He was… he was royalty… He was going to be king one day… He didn't pull. Ector, Meliot, and Pellinore's warnings came back to him. They hadn't wanted people to know what he was for a reason. They had said he'd be in danger and that it might be too soon. He didn't understand anything! He just knew they hadn't wanted anyone but staff to know.

Ector watched his foster son numbly. Arthur looked woefully up at him. Ector knew the look and his eyes widened. "No," he whispered, shaking his head. "Pull it," he mouthed to the boy.

 _Pull it, dammit Arthur! Forget everything we said, just pull the damned sword! Don't do this. Don't… Don't put yourself up to this ridicule and shame. Don't do this…_

Arthur looked determinedly at the sword and pulled… Pretended to… And pretended he couldn't move it as well, 'struggling' with the blade. Ector felt his heart sink into his stomach.

 _No…_

When Arthur felt the blade slightly sliding, he didn't pull as much. There was a reason after all, wasn't there? A reason that father didn't want anyone to know he had done this? One that he didn't understand, but a reason he knew existed nonetheless. The screeches of laughter began, and the taunts, and the cruelty. Even the teachers began to laugh. The principal looked satisfied he'd uncovered deceit. Primbottom grabbed Arthur by the back of the shirt and pulled him away from the stone. Arthur immediately released the blade, hoping no one had noticed it had moved.

"Pull the sword, dammit Arthur!" Ector frantically shouted. "Please! Forget everything we said! Pull the sword from the stone!"

Arthur looked fearfully at his father. No one was listening anymore. Primbottom was about ready to throw Arthur back into the lion's den and let the animal teenagers have him. He thrust Arthur back, but someone stepped forward quickly and caught him. Arthur looked up and his eyes widened. "Mr. Merlin!" he exclaimed.

Merlin looked seriously at Arthur. "Pull the sword from the stone. Show them what you are, kid," Merlin said. The students didn't know the seriousness of it and probably wouldn't spread the word anyway, though the teachers might. At least, though, it wouldn't be so damaging then. "You won't gain their respect or admiration or love you know, Arthur. Heck, if anything you'll be tormented even _worse_ , jealousy amongst other things, but hey, at least you won't be tormented as a liar. If you're going to suffer, might as well suffer for what you are and not for what you aren't." Immediately he zapped Arthur back to the stone. Arthur, flustered and confused and shaken, didn't know how to react or what to do.

Pynchley and Primbottom went at him again and Arthur set his jaw, eyes narrowing. He turned to the sword and in one fluid motion yanked it free of the stone and anvil and held it up. "See what I am?! I'm not a liar, I'm not! I pulled it, it was me! I'm prom king now, creeps, so eat it!" There was stunned silence all around. Pynchley and Primbottom gaped in horrified disbelief, as did most of the rest of the staff present, those who hadn't believed. Arthur harrumphed and shoved the sword back into the stone with finality. Turning, he marched quickly away then began to full out run. This time he let the tears come, when no one could see…


	9. Approaching Armies

Approaching Armies

(A/N: King Lot of Orkney is the name I put to the Captain of the Guard in Shrek, the one overseeing the Fairy Tale creatures, so yeah. Captain of the Duloc Guard equals Lot of Orkney, just to help you put a face to a name. Like Balin and Balan being the hotboxing twins in Shrek 3, and Gawain being the guy with a ponytail you see with Lancelot.)

As scheduled, after the coronation they had returned to Worcestershire for the feast. He was seated on a throne in the dining hall, aka cafeteria that looked like anything but a cafeteria right now, to preside over the dinner. Fact he was presiding over it in a state of near shock notwithstanding. Many lords came to him to do service as they were supposed to, and complaints were made. They talked about the wrongs that had been done since Uther's death. Apparently, Uncle Harald was more a figurehead than anything and had had less sway than Arthur had thought. These great wrongs included talk of many lands that were bereaved of lords, knights, ladies, and gentlemen because chaos and backstabbing, and supposedly he was supposed to set it right. His first royal decrees and they weren't even coming out of the palace. Was there a loophole there? No, if he recalled correctly there wasn't. It didn't matter where he was in his land, as long as his seal was on it, so without hesitation he made the lands to be given back to the ones that had owned them before and then lost them in the chaos after Uther had died. Finally, he was allowed to eat.

He glanced over towards Lucan, who had been holding the ceremonies down like a pro and ensuring everything went smoothly. "Hey," he said when Lucan took a moment to breathe and eat. Lucan looked over at him. "Thanks," Arthur said. "Not sure how I would have done without you baby-stepping me through it."

"Uh… you're welcome?" Lucan replied curiously.

"Really, Lucan. You went above and beyond," Arthur said.

Lucan was quiet. "Thanks? I guess? I mean, I suppose I kind of owed you for, well, when we were twelve and you kept Pynchley and Primbottom from beating me to a pulp," he cautiously replied.

"Not sure they would have been _that_ extreme," Arthur replied. "Wow, I didn't think you remembered that."

"People tend to remember when other people do them a good turn," Lucan replied. "Most do, at least."

Arthur nodded. "Just… thanks. Again," he said.

Lucan stared at him. "Okay. You're welcome," he finally replied. "Uh, there are a few other formalities. You need to appoint positions to a few people after the feast. You talked that over with Ector and Lillian, I believe? After that there's more feasting mixed with dancing, and then you're clear for the evening. Tomorrow people should start to drift out, if everything goes well, and then it'll all be fine and dandy and you can go back to being just Arthur."

"That sounds more appealing than I thought it ever could," Arthur deadpanned.

"I suppose this is quite overwhelming, yes," Lucan replied.

"It is," Arthur admitted. "But I just have to make do I guess. Eventually I'll get it, right?" Silence followed.

Lucan shifted, feeling kind of awkward now. "Yeah, I think you will," he finally replied.

"Your pause wasn't assuring, but thanks anyway, I guess," Arthur replied, grimacing. Lucan nodded. With that he shuffled away, mystified. Who knew Arthur could even _have_ a good attitude?

KAK

"You're getting into this," a voice said. Arthur jumped, catching his breath, and turned quickly with a scowl at the one who'd startled him. Dagonet. Of course. Who else?

"Stop sneaking up on me like that man!" Arthur insisted.

"Are you kidding? It's too much fun," Dagonet replied.

"I can have you imprisoned you know," Arthur replied.

"Go ahead and do it," Dagonet smugly challenged.

Arthur seriously considered doing so before catching sight of Lillian approaching and tensing. "Uh oh," he said.

Dagonet looked back. "It's just your aunt. You don't have to assume immediately she's here to lecture you."

"Want a bet?" Arthur replied dryly.

"Come on, Artie, loosen up," Dagonet replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, Astomar and I have pranks to pull. Um, do you… want to come?"

"Astomar?" Arthur asked.

"Alymere," Dagonet specified. "Just another name for him. There's a lot of kids and teachers here with more than one name."

"I think it has to do with whatever region you're in," Arthur answered. "Alymere prefers Alymere, as far as I know."

"Yeah, I prefer it too. So, you coming?" Dagonet asked. "Might get you away from your aunt."

"Yeah no," Arthur flatly answered. "I could care less."

Dagonet winced then put on a smile again, though it was a little disappointed. "Okay. See you. Good luck with your aunt," he said, heading off with a wave. Arthur watched after him curiously. Why was Dagonet disappointed anyway? Not like they were friends, right?

"You'll need to hold another feast tomorrow," Lillian said as she came up to him.

"What? Why?" Arthur asked, turning to her.

"Because Lucan missed a step. This is your coronation feast. Tomorrow you are to give the sending off feast, a goodbye to all those who came. Should anyone arrive late, it will also act as a welcome to _them_. A meet and greet, if you will," Lillian said.

"Who should I expect to show up if anyone does?" Arthur asked.

"Possibly other nobles, likely a king or two. It shouldn't be much drama, dear. After that you'll be in the clear. For a while at least," Lillian assured.

"I hope so," Arthur replied with a groan.

"I'll get the ones you're appointing positions to lined up," Lillian said.

"Lucan's beat you to it," Arthur replied, smirking and pointing.

"My, that boy has it together. He would make a good butler I think," she said.

"Yeah, he would," Arthur said.

"Maybe yours," Lillian hinted, looking at her nephew like he should have gotten the hint.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, aunty. He's just doing this because he thinks he owes me. We're not suddenly buddy, buddy because he's keeping me sane," Arthur replied. "I've never even really talked to Lucan before this all started happening."

"Perhaps, Arthur, it's time you tried to," Lillian said. "I noticed Dagonet came over. It seemed he was being friendly. Trying to invite you to do something?"

"Oh… Uh, yeah, I-I guess," Arthur replied. "Odds are it'll end in disaster though, so I just stayed out of it. Besides, with my luck I'd probably end up the butt end of one of his and Alymere's pranks."

"Did it occur to you that Dagonet may have just wanted you to hang out with no malicious intent?" Lillian gently asked.

Arthur squirmed a bit uncomfortably. "They never want to just hang out," he answered. "Look Aunty, I have to start giving titles. We can talk later," Arthur said, trying to get out of this. He knew it was a lecture, dammit. Quickly he rose to call attention before Lillian could protest. She sighed, shaking her head hopelessly.

Fiona approached her mother curiously. "I don't know what to do about him," Lillian said. "He refuses to let anyone or anything in."

"Give him time, mom. I think Artie does want friends, he's just… there's a lot of trust issues going on," Fiona answered. "We should head back to the guest wing soon. Shrek can't take this much longer and I need to rest. Been on my feet all day," she said, resting a hand over her very pregnant belly.

"Of course, darling," Lillian replied, smiling gently at her daughter.

KAK

 _When this was done, that the king had established all the countries about London, then he let make Sir Kay seneschal of England, and Sir Baudwin of Britain was made constable, and Sir Ulfius was made chamberlain, and Sir Brastias was made warden to wait upon the north from Trent forwards, for it was that time the most party the king's enemies._

Arthur was surprised how smoothly the appointing of positions had gone. He and Kay had managed to keep their emotions in check, thankfully. His voice had hitched once or twice and Kay had been near tears, but they'd done pretty well. Until they were out of sight, at which point they'd enveloped each other in a hug and damn near broke down before composing themselves.

"I can hardly believe this is happening," Kay said. Arthur had deserved so much better than the life he'd been living. Now finally things were looking up for his sibling.

"I know!" Arthur replied, tense. "I'm so nervous."

"Calm down. You've done amazing, Arthur. Have you seen the way the rest of the jousting team and your tormentors have been seething? Oh man, it's gold!" Kay said.

"Oh, I wish I could see it up close and personal to rub it in," Arthur replied, grinning wickedly.

"You'll be seeing it at school a lot," Kay replied, grinning back. "Maybe now they'll leave you alone."

"I won't get my hopes up," Arthur dryly replied, grimacing. "I feel like after this I'm just going to go back to being plain Arthur to them. They know I'm not going to order their deaths. I mean, I'm not _that_ petty."

" _I_ am. Drop a hint and I'll deal with them. I'm seneschal now," Kay replied, winking at his foster brother with a grin.

"If only it was that easy, but dad says you're going to need a lot more training before they take you very seriously or start to respect you," Arthur replied with a sigh. "College houses are going to be hounding you to teach you the ins and outs of your job."

"Then we suffer together, I suppose," Kay answered. "Better that than alone, though."

"Yeah," Arthur replied, smiling affectionately at his foster brother. "I love you, bro."

Kay smiled. "Love you too, baby brother," he replied. "Even if I do bully you and push you around. And be a general jerkwad towards you."

"Don't spoil this please," Arthur deadpanned, frowning. Kay grinned innocently, shrugging. "Anyway, I'm kind of excited to see what tomorrow holds for us."

"Me too. It probably won't be anything too exciting, though, so don't get your hopes up," Kay replied.

"Congratulations Arthur," Fiona said, approaching with Lillian, Shrek, Puss, and Donkey.

"Thanks cousin Fiona," Arthur replied, smiling at her.

"Ya did good, kid," Shrek agreed. Arthur lit up a little.

"You will be a fine king, Senor," Puss said. He bowed. "It will be my honor to serve you. And perhaps train you in the art of weapons. I hear talk of a combat test approaching soon?"

"Uh, I'll keep you in mind, Puss," Arthur replied, smiling.

"Look at you, all famous and rulin' a nation," Donkey remarked. Arthur grimaced, remembering the responsibilities he now shouldered.

"Great," he replied, forcing a grin and willing himself to come across as pleasant rather than sarcastic.

"We're going to head off, little cuz. It's been really something seeing you rise to the throne. If you never need help with courtly manner, see me," Fiona said.

"Good luck, Artie. You'll do great," Shrek said with a smile. Arthur grinned and hugged his friends and cousin and aunt before seeing them off to the guest wing. For once, almost everything was going his way…

 **The Next Day**

 _Then the king removed into Wales, and let cry a great feast that it should be holden at Pentecost after the incoronation of him at the city of Carlion._

"Lucan! Lucan, I need you!" Arthur frantically shouted, racing through the school to try and find his temporary butler.

"Present," Lucan said, stepping out of an adjacent hallway and making Arthur jump about a foot with a yelp. Lucan gave him an incredulous look. "What do you need, Arthur? Err, your majesty?"

"Who's coming that isn't here already?" Arthur asked.

Lucan checked his notes. "Let's see, there's King Lot of Lothian and of Orkney, he'll be arriving with five-hundred knights."

"What?!" Arthur exclaimed. Thank goodness Worcestershire was massive.

"Save your panic for after I tell you how many more hundreds are coming," Lucan said.

" _What_?!" Arthur repeated again, even more alarmed.

"King Uriens of Gore is coming with four-hundred knights," Lucan continued.

"Morgan's husband? She contacted him?" Arthur asked.

"Word has spread far and wide about you in very short and rapid order," Lucan answered. "King Nentres of Garlot is coming with seven-hundred. A King of Scotland whose name slips my mind is coming with six-hundred. There's also another king, whose name has slipped my mind too, called the King with the Hundred Knights, and there's also King Carados with five-hundred knights."

"That's… good?" Arthur uneasily questioned.

"That's for you to tell me," Lucan answered. "Good luck."

"Wait, what am I supposed to do?!" Arthur asked.

"Ask someone who would know?" Lucan replied. Arthur looked pleading. Lucan frowned. "Like one of the teachers that are kings, or even your aunt," he specified. Arthur cringed then sighed, nodding and heading away to find any of the rulers who were around to ask them for advice.

KAK

There were a few rulers who worked in this school, Bagdemagus, Galehaut, Bors, and Pellinore. Maybe there were more, but those were the ones Arthur recalled off the top of his head. Galehaut was just no. The man despised him with a passion. Bagdemagus hadn't been around much lately and was kind of hard to catch anyway. Bors was currently with his sons and nephews so there was no way in hell he was approaching him. Pellinore was the one he got along with and liked best, so he was the one Arthur sought out. He found him in his office where he was eating with his five sons, Aglovale, Lamorak, Dornar, Tor, and Percival. That alone almost made him turn around and go back to Bors or Bagdemagus instead, but he decided to take a chance. They'd behave with their father around, right? Taking a breath, he knocked lightly. "King Pellinore?" he asked, pushing open the door and entering.

Pellinore looked up with all his sons, a few of which turned away with scoffs, or condescending smiles. In fact the only two who didn't turn away were Lamorak and Percival. "Arthur, what is it?" Pellinore asked.

"I'm… a little unsure about something. Lucan gave me a rundown of the kings that are coming and all the knights they're bringing and, um… is it usual for visiting kings to bring an army?"

Quickly Pellinore's sons looked back at Arthur, suddenly more alert and serious. Pellinore was quiet, smile falling as he tensed up. There was a moment of silence. "An army?" Pellinore finally asked. "What do you mean?"

"W-Well… two-thousand-eight hundred?" Arthur uneasily replied.

"Two-thousand-eight-hundred _knights_?!" Pellinore demanded, shooting to his feet. "What do they need so many for?" he demanded.

"I don't know. It's kind of freaking me out. What do I do, sir?" Arthur asked.

Pellinore looked concerned. His sons turned uneasily and questioningly to him. "Dad?" the oldest asked. Aglovale.

"Boys, leave us a moment," Pellinore ordered.

"But dad…" Dornar began.

"I'll fill you in later. Go," Pellinore said. The five hesitated, grimacing, but soon rose and left. The door shut behind them and Arthur turned to Pellinore once more. "Sir?" he questioned again, shifting uneasily.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, just… thinking," Pellinore stated. He was more than a little concerned that they were bringing such a force. Something didn't ring right about it.

"I should be happy, right? I mean, they're coming for great love probably to honor me at the feast, right?" Arthur asked. "I mean, one of them is my sister's husband! It can't be malicious, right?"

"I'd suggest you play it safe for now. Hopefully that's exactly what they intend, but I don't like their numbers. Send the kings and knights presents, see how they react, and we'll judge their intentions from there," Pellinore soon said.

"What are you thinking is worst case?" Arthur uneasily questioned.

Pellinore was silent. Finally, he looked solemnly at the new king. "War," he answered. Arthur's heart stopped, eyes filling with uncertainty and fear. "Leave the details to me, Arthur. If they think they can march on Worcestershire and Carlion, they're sorely mistaken. Hopefully that isn't their plan, but in case it is, leave background organizing to me. Don't concern yourself over it. Hope for the best, and if it turns out it's the worst, trust that we'll protect you. We have siege drills at school for a reason, you know."

"Yeah, but I never thought we'd actually have to use them," Arthur uneasily replied.

"They've been used before. Don't worry. Now go on. Hope for the best," Pellinore answered with a reassuring smile. Arthur left. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to hope for the best when he was now worried about it being the worst. As he left, Pellinore's reassuring smile became a deeply concerned frown. He needed to alert the other teachers. Just in case.

KAK

The messengers Arthur had sent out with gifts gawked in horror at the armed force they were being faced with now, their kings dressed for battle riding in the forefront. "We have no joy to receive gifts from a beardless boy born of low blood who claims to be king!" their leader firmly stated. This leader was King Lot of Orkney, and he was no force to be reckoned with. "Now you go back to that school and tell your 'king' that we refuse his gifts, but come to him with our own. Our swords between his neck and shoulders." He'd been passed over for a child? He didn't think so. "That a boy could rule so noble a realm as this is laughable! Go. And when you get there, find my sons and tell them to get out here. If they don't, then they're to stay locked up somewhere out of harm's way. They're not to come out when they hear sounds of fighting," Lot sharply continued. Heaven help his boys if they refused his orders. "And tell whoever doesn't want to die to lock _themselves_ away too."

Swiftly, terrified, the messengers scrambled off to bring the news to Arthur and Worcestershire. Lot glared darkly after them. "What right does this new king have to rule this land anyway? By virtue of a sword stuck in a stone? Wasn't it Uther himself who favored you so well? By all rights, the kingship should be yours," a woman cooed softly to him.

He took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Ride home, Morgause. This won't take too long," he said. "I'll make sure our sons make it out."

"And that Arthur…?" she prompted.

"Dies. Painfully," Lot answered. The woman smiled and turned her horse to ride back home. "Anna, I love you," he said after her.

She turned curiously and smiled again. "I know," she answered. He was aware she didn't say she loved him back. He wondered if she loved at all.

Lot watched her go then sighed, turning to look towards Worcestershire. Another king rode up next to him and he glanced over. "I thought your wife was on good terms with the boy who would be king, Uriens," he remarked to this other ruler.

"She is," Uriens replied.

"And yet you're riding with me to kill him?" Lot said to the younger king, who was about Arthur's age.

Uriens was quiet. "I'm not my wife's puppet," he finally answered. "Not like you."

"Guard your tongue or you'll be laying in the dirt beside your wife's friend," Lot threatened. "Friendly fire." Uriens was quiet. Lot, satisfied he'd quelled him, nodded and galloped onwards. The others followed him quickly with all their force.


	10. The Lectures

The Lectures

( **Important A/N:** Originally part of Act 3, I moved this chapter into Act 2 at a reviewer's suggestion to help the story flow more, and build on characters that didn't seem to have enough build-up. **The beginning of the next chapter [previously chapter 4 of Act 2 - Confronting the Kings] has been added to as well** , so might want to check those out. Important scenes there as well.)

Arthur had done what Pellinore said and sent out messengers to meet the approaching kings. It would be a while before they came back with a response, maybe a day or two. In the meantime, he was on high alert just waiting for someone to pounce. He had no one at his back. Kay was off with Bedivere, Morgan had better things to do it seemed, Ector was busy, Dagonet was somewhere with Alymere doing what Dagonet and Alymere did best, and, well, that was pretty well it for people in his corner. He had a cousin who went to this school, Hoel was his name, but he hadn't hung out with him for years. It had been a long time since they'd been close.

He was creeping along the balcony overlooking the gardens, hoping no one saw him, when he heard giggling. He paused, curiously looking over. Princesses? His eyes lit up longingly. It was better. It was Gwen and a few of her friends! What he wouldn't give for her to look his way just once.

"Well, well, look who crawled back to hell," a voice said from behind. Arthur tensed, grip on the railing tightening so much his knuckles were white. He shuddered, grimacing in disgust, and turned, frowning guardedly.

"If you think I came back by choice, you're dead wrong," he replied to the one who'd crept up on him. Agravaine. Just what he needed.

"First 'king' to ever be fired, Artie?" Agravaine asked with a sneer.

"Go to hell, Agravaine," Arthur replied.

"Didn't you hear me? We're already there," Agravaine replied, spreading his arms apart to gesture at the school.

"For once we agree," Arthur replied, slouching his shoulders and glowering guardedly at the other. He was no fan of Agravaine's. He never _had_ been. Agravaine was among those he hated most in this nightmare of a school. He didn't trust him. He was a snake in the grass at his best, a rat and a weasel at his worst. A sleaze, a snitch, you name it, he was it.

"There we go, common ground. We're getting somewhere," Agravaine said.

"What do you want, man?" Arthur questioned, looking over the railing again but not turning his back. You didn't turn your back on guys like Agravaine. Given his affinity for daggers and short swords and the way he could sneak around, this guy was a spy in the making. Or an assassin. Take your pick. He could go either way.

"Couldn't help but notice mine 'illustrious king' hath set his eyes on his future queen. Still fawning over the unobtainable Guinevere?" Agravaine replied.

"No!" Arthur replied too quickly. "I mean what does it even matter to you?! It's none of your business who I'm crushing on. I'm not saying I am, but if I was it's not your business!"

"You blurted out your confession to the whole school, Arthur, don't even play that game with me," Agravaine replied, rolling his eyes.

"I could have moved on in six months!" Arthur replied, flushing. "I mean, not like Far Far Away doesn't have its share of fair maidens."

"Far Far Away. Riiiight," Agravaine said, rolling his eyes at the name.

"Another thing we agree on," Arthur said. He really needed to change the name.

"Getting creepy now," Agravaine said, smirking. "People might get to thinking we're related."

"Perish forbid," Arthur replied, grimacing.

"Anyway, that wasn't what I was getting at. You know… I have an in with one or two of Gwen's little clique. What would you be willing to pay if I could, I don't know, set you up to 'accidentally' cross her path?" Agravaine asked.

"You could do that? Why would you be willing to?" Arthur suspiciously questioned, though he perked up slightly.

"Well, if you're king I figure I should probably work on building _up_ favors instead of tearing them down," Agravaine replied.

"That's… practical. I guess," Arthur replied, though he got the feeling something was off about this. But still, if Agravaine could make it happen… He looked down at Gwen longingly. "Are you sure you can do it?" he asked.

"I'm offended you have to ask," Agravaine replied, smirking. "So, deal? I scratch your back you scratch mine?"

Arthur shifted, torn between the alarm bells ringing in his head and the longing he felt to be close to her. "Deal," he said before he could fully think it through.

"Great. Lancelot will be the messenger boy," Agravaine said.

"Why Lance?!" Arthur demanded, tensing up.

"Don't tell me you don't want to see the jealousy in his face when he lets you know where Gwen wants to meet _you_ , not him," Agravaine hinted.

"Sometimes I like the way you think," Arthur replied, smirking. But he still got a really suspicious and bad feeling about this.

"Great. You'll have word by lunch. Sooner probably," Agravaine replied, walking off. Arthur shifted uneasily. Oh he really, really hoped he didn't regret this.

KAK

It took his all not to laugh in Lancelot's face when the jouster came to him bitterly and told him where Gwen wanted to meet. Namely the maze. Well, they called it a maze. It was more just a garden. He could hardly contain his excitement. He would have been enjoying it a lot more if not for those stupid warning bells going off in his head. Morgan was watching him dully as he fixed his hair. "You know they're lying to you, right?" she said.

"If there's a chance they're not, I'm taking it," Arthur replied, continuing to fuss with his locks. She rolled her eyes and approached with a brush, fixing it up a bit. "Thanks Morgan," Arthur gratefully said.

"Whatever," Morgan replied.

"Are you wearing fangs?" Arthur asked, frowning.

"Wearing? Let's go with that," she replied, smirking.

Arthur winced. "Spell?" he asked awkwardly.

"Doy," Morgan replied. "There you go. But there's no point. They're trapping you, and you're walking right into it. But live and learn the hard way, I guess. Or live and die. Whichever happens first."

"Do you have to be so morbid?" Arthur asked, frowning at her. She smirked, not answering, and walked off. Arthur sighed, shaking his head after her, and checked himself over once more before leaving the room, satisfied with his appearance.

"Where are you going?" Kay, studying from a book while eating an apple, asked.

"To meet someone," Arthur replied.

"A friend? You?" Kay asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Thanks for your vote of confidence," Arthur deadpanned.

Kay shrugged. "You gonna try and catch the tournament today? I'm in it," he said.

"Already?" Arthur asked.

"Not like I haven't jousted before, Arthur," Kay replied.

"Well, I know, just… seems soon," Arthur replied.

"Kind of a skill appraisal, I guess," Kay answered. "Dad knows I can hold my own, he just wants to see what level I'm at and if I've gotten rusty."

"Yeah, sure. I'll try to catch it if I can," Arthur replied.

"I'll hold you to it," Kay replied.

"Please don't. I disappoint enough people as it is," Arthur replied.

"Artie, I…" Kay began.

"Bye," Arthur said, walking out. Kay sighed, shaking his head in concern. That boy worried him. He turned back to his book on how to be seneschal. He'd be doing a test later today, and he really needed to study hard for it. There was a lot more to this job than he'd expected.

KAK

Arthur headed towards the main gates nervously. "Yo Arthur!" a voice called out. He tensed and looked over before tentatively relaxing. Alymere. He wasn't sure where he and Astomar stood, now that Dagonet was buddies with the guy, but he would try to be cautiously optimistic, he guessed.

"Uh, hey?" Arthur replied uncertainly. He cursed how uncertain it sounded. "No Dagonet?"

"Nah, he's studying for a test," Alymere replied.

"What about the rest of the jousting team?" Arthur asked.

Alymere was quiet. "I'd rather hang out with you," he soon answered.

"Why? I thought you were all good buddies," Arthur said.

Alymere shifted uneasily. "You remember that lecture on those fish that like to attach to or hang around sharks?" he asked.

"Those sucker ones?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'm one of those. You want to survive in this school, Artie, you attach yourself to the guys at the top of the food chain, the ones no one messes with," Alymere answered. "I do them favors, they watch my back. What they aren't are friends."

Arthur was quiet. "Yeah… Guess I understand that," he replied. "I'm on my way to meet up with Gwen. Guess you can tag along until the maze and be my, uh, wingman."

"You're meeting _Gwen_? How'd you swing that?" Astomar asked.

Arthur hesitated, cringing. "Um… Agravaine set it up," he admitted. Frankly Arthur wasn't even sure Gwen knew it was him she was meeting.

Alymere stared at him blankly like he wasn't sure he'd actually heard that. "Agravaine?" he finally repeated. Arthur was quiet. "Are you kidding? You trust that guy?"

"No," Arthur replied. "But Agravaine's an opportunist. He likes to attach himself to power. He said that now that I'm king, he figures he should probably be building up favors instead of tearing them down, or something like that. I mean, that was logic that was kind of hard to argue."

"With Agravaine, that's exactly _when_ you argue it," Alymere said. "Now I'm definitely tagging along. Agravaine's as likely to stab you in the back as look at you." Arthur nodded and the two headed off.

KAK

Arthur made his way to the maze cautiously with Astomar, on guard for anything that seemed off. He'd taken Morgan's warning to heart, though it probably hadn't seemed that way, and Alymere's too. He was ready for a trap to spring at any minute now. He looked into the maze and didn't see Gwen. "Okay, we'll quickly walk around and look in the hedged off areas, and if she isn't there we'll just run as fast as we can. If she's not around, it means that yeah, this was a trap," he said to Alymere.

"Agreed," Alymere answered. Arthur nodded then bolted into the maze with Alymere and began to run around, quickly looking in each area. No, no, no, uh oh. If she wasn't in the last one, he was in trouble. He looked into the last one and his heart skipped a beat. She was there sitting and waiting for someone with her back to him!

"Whoa. Agravaine pulled through!" Alymere said in shock. Arthur grinned. Gwen hadn't noticed him yet, she was busy brushing her hair, but oh well.

"Okay, stay on the lookout. I'm going in," Arthur said.

"If you start to flounder, I'll save you," Astomar teased. Arthur grinned. He turned and started to step towards her, but suddenly he felt hands seize him from behind and he gave a cry, or tried. Someone covered his mouth so he couldn't make a sound. Roughly he was dragged away, Gwen totally unaware. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening! Not now! You had to be kidding him! He looked frantically for Alymere and caught his breath. Alymere too had been grabbed and had a hand slapped over his mouth. He looked equally as alarmed.

"Wow does he move," a familiar voice said, and Arthur could have spit. Agravaine. Of course. Never turn your back on a snake. He could have cursed him out.

"Nice try, loser, but you didn't really think we were going to let you at her _that_ easy, did you?" another taunted. Lancelot. Who else? "Hey, hey, easy!" Lancelot shot as Arthur jerked a leg free and kicked at him as they were dragging him somewhere.

"Stop struggling and this will be so much easier," a third voice said, one Arthur recognized. Sagremore le Impetuous, another member of the jousting team and semi-regular tormentor. Half the time he couldn't be bothered, the other half he got pretty ruthless. Arthur thrashed and squirmed desperately, fighting to escape, but it became clear pretty fast that it wasn't going to happen. He cursed his luck, considered resigning himself, then decided he'd fight tooth and nail to get out of this. Of course, like always, it was in vain. He felt a blow to the back of his head and blacked out. "Shi... Crap, you hit him hard! Was that necessary?" Sagremore demanded of another jock, Galihoden, in disbelief.

"Yep. What, can't hack it?" Galihoden replied. Sagremore rolled his eyes. Alymere gaped at Arthur's limp form in shock before being dragged away with the king towards the ruins. Well crap.

KAK

Astomar gawked in horror as the jousting team, rather some of them, proceeded to drag an unconscious Arthur out of the ruin they'd been stashed in to do gods knew what with him. This was how they were going to treat the new king? Really? He could have spit. He was left alone tied up in the dark. There was silence for about half an hour. For a horrible moment, he was afraid they had just left him there to whatever fate had in store for him. He tried to calm himself by figuring out who all was privy to this. If he got out, they were being reported. Let's see…

The jousting team consisted of Lancelot du Lac, Sagremore le Impetuous, Bleoberis de Ganis, Brunor le Noir, Tristan de Lyons, Gawain, Bedivere, Kay, Bran de Lis—who liked to mash his name up into Brandelis for whatever reason—Galihoden the young Count of Honolan, and Bors de Ganis, who was the youngest member and was more water boy than participant. Given Bohort was much bigger than most boys his age, he was often allowed to joust if another of the team was out of commission.

Now who all had he seen? Actually, it was easier to go over who he hadn't. He hadn't seen Tristan, so odds were Tristan hadn't been privy to this. Neither had Gawain, Bedivere, or Kay. He wasn't sure even Bohort knew what was going on. He hadn't seen him at least, so that meant he and the others were in the clear. The rest of them not so much. He snapped out of his review when he heard people coming back. He tensed up, preparing himself. He got the sense this wasn't going to be pleasant. Soon the jocks who had jumped him and Arthur re-entered and stood against the walls. Lancelot, obviously spearheading this assault, approached. Alymere shifted slightly but gave no other sign of unease. He prepared for the worst.

"Alymere, you're hanging with the school loser now? I expected better from you," Lancelot taunted. Astomar glared darkly at him. "Picked the wrong side, pal. Guess we're going to have to try and get you back on ours. Would be a shame to lose you." Alymere thrashed viciously against his bonds, but they held him fast. Lancelot ungagged him, smugly smiling. "Tell you what, I'll give you a chance to fix this, how about that?"

Alymere glared. "I'm listening," he finally replied. More out of curiosity than anything. Odds were he'd refuse whatever bargain was offered.

"Help us deal with Arthur, embarrass him, maybe rough him up, and we'll overlook your lack of judgement," Brunor said for Lancelot.

Alymere smirked coldly, chuckling. "Thanks for watching my back all this time that I've attached myself to you guys, but I'm pretty sure I'm good on my own from here on out," he answered.

"The fact you're bound and gagged in a ruin says different," Lancelot bit.

"You know, there are two kinds of friends, false and true. I think I've been hanging around the wrong kind too long now. Thanks for offering to let me back in, but no thanks. Let's face it, not a single one of you would have my back if push came to shove or if something really bad happened," Alymere replied. He looked to Lancelot. "And if you, 'top dog', really think for a second that a single one of these guys will have _your_ back when things get rough, you're delusional. Bleoberis and Bors maybe, because family, but every one of the rest would toss you under a carriage to save themselves. Sorry, but I'll stick with the guys who'll stand by me when the going gets tough."

Lancelot glared darkly, obviously less than impressed with Astomar's words. Still, he said nothing in argument, just pursed his lips. That was a sign Lancelot was thinking, Alymere knew. About time he did. "Alright, enough talk," Brandelis said, approaching Alymere. He viciously punched him in the stomach. Alymere cried out in pain, doubling over. At least as well as his bonds would allow.

"Enough," Lancelot said. "Leave him for whatever finds him. Let's go guys. We have a tournament to get to." Glaring scathingly at him, the jousting team all followed Lancelot out, leaving behind a suddenly ill at ease Alymere. They were seriously just leaving him here? What if he couldn't get out?! Would they let him die of thirst out here? No, they weren't that psychotic. But what if something dangerous did in fact find him before they came back? Oh, this was bad. Desperately Alymere began to try and writhe his way free so he could escape. And what about Arthur? What had they done to the king?! He needed to find him and make sure he was okay. As the minutes ticked by and he only seemed to be making it worse, though, he began to wonder if he'd even be able to make sure he was okay _himself_ …

KAK

Arthur wasn't sure when he'd blacked out, or been knocked out, but he realized pretty quickly that he was somewhere dark and cramped. For a moment, he was terrified it might be a coffin before determining that was Morgan and Mordred levels of morbid and realizing that since he was standing up, and felt objects, it was probably a locker. Dammit! He cursed under his breath and started trying to escape. "Let me out! Come on you guys, please? Help! Someone let me out!" Arthur pled, pounding the inside of the locker and wondering how they'd even fit him into it. He'd known better than to trust Agravaine, dang it, he'd known better. And _still_ he'd let his guard down! "Hey, anyone out there? Help!" Oh no, what had they done with Alymere?! Arthur fought harder to try and break out.

A student around Kay's age, maybe a bit older, approached his locker and paused on hearing frantic cries from it. He blinked, looking at his storage space, then frowned curiously. He went to it, quickly unlocked the lock, and pulled it open. He gawked in surprise at what tumbled out. The school loser dressed like _Cupid_? In other words, naked say for an undergarment that covered a bit more than a loincloth did, and a mockery of wings plastered onto him with tar. Arthur shook his head, trying to get his bearings, then looked up and gasped, paling. "Dinadan!" he exclaimed. This guy was a member of IAK house, Arthur was pretty sure, and Kay's age or close, which meant either in the college wing or nearing it. Dinadan blinked then looked at the note stuck to Arthur's chest with pitch.

 _Take me you wild fool! Fill me with your love and touch me like I've never been touched._

 _Desperately wanting you,_

 _Cupid_

A smirk spread across Dinadan's lips. "Not that I'm not flattered, Artie, but wow. Forward much? Buy me dinner first," he said.

Arthur looked confused then started, looking swiftly down with eyes wide. He gasped, pulling the note off and reading it, barely registering the pain given the panic he felt. Oh _gods_ no! He looked up at Dinadan, pale, and suddenly was acutely aware that they were alone. Now, there were more than a few rumors about Dinadan circulating. Stories about the depths of his depravity, and what a depth it was. If even one of said rumors was proven true, the guy could be in jail for life or executed. He didn't want to learn firsthand, though, if any were. "I didn't write this," Arthur hollowly said, fear apparent in his eyes. Not that denying he'd wrote it would stop Dinadan if the stories proved to have some weight to them. Neither would saying no or begging.

"No kidding? Huh," Dinadan replied, stepping towards him.

"Don't do something you'll regret, Dinadan, please," Arthur pled, backing up against the lockers and feeling suddenly very, very exposed and vulnerable.

Dinadan paused, looking at him. After a moment, he smirked. "Ah, my reputation precedes me. You've heard the stories," he said, totally nonchalant. In his eyes, though… Was there a tinge of bitterness there? Arthur swallowed. "Kid, calm down. I know the writing isn't yours. Let me guess. By the looks of it Lancelot decided to get in a few kicks?" Arthur nodded, wide-eyed in worry. "Figures. I'm gonna guess he baited you with Agravaine then told you Guinevere was looking for you in the maze."

"How did you know?" Arthur asked.

"Because that creep pulled the same stunt on Daniel a while back, using the name of a different girl. He did the same to Meleagant the day you left, using Gwen's name," Dinadan replied. Daniel, Daniel… Who was Daniel again, Arthur wondered? Oh wait, yeah, one of Dinadan's two brothers. About his age, in a few of the same classes, insanely quiet. And Meleagant? Arthur believed he was the son of the vice-principal, King Bagdemagus. Arthur always figured that garnered Meleagant a lot of favoritism and spoiling, though he couldn't presume to know. "Besides, we _all_ remember your little farewell confession," Dinadan continued with a taunting grin. Arthur paled. "FYI, you're not winning her in _that_ getup."

"They put me in it," Arthur awkwardly said, bowing his head. He wondered if Dinadan had seen Astomar. Arthur was worried about what they'd done to him. The king took in his outfit. Wow this didn't cover much. Suddenly he was acutely aware again of just how exposed he was and just who he was exposed _to_. He went back to being afraid right quick, looking fearfully up at Dinadan once more.

Dinadan laughed. "Oh, Lance figures he's got it _all_ figured out, doesn't he? Give me that," he said, snatching the note and reading it again. "If it's any consolation, this is his little attempt to bully me too. And he's going to regret it. Get lost, Arthur. Can't be bothered having my way with you right now." Arthur quickly scampered off in embarrassment to change. How was that an attempt to bully _Dinadan_ , he wondered? Maybe the rumors? It didn't matter, he guessed, he just wanted to get covered up and then find his friend. "Arthur!" Dinadan called.

Arthur tensed, grimaced, and warily turned. "Yeah?" he cautiously asked.

"On second thought, I need you like that a bit longer. Sorry you have to go from bully to bully, but hey, collateral." Collateral? What did…? Wait, he should run. Turning, he tried to flee. Dinadan was on him in seconds, though, pinning him down in a way that had him almost panicking. "Hold still. This too shall pass," Dinadan said.

"Dinadan please! Don't!" Arthur pled.

"I'm not gonna jump you, kid, just cooperate and this ends that much faster," Dinadan said. "We're giving Lance a taste of his own medicine. Or I am. You'll probably end up humiliated worse, but hey, price of revenge." Arthur stopped struggling. Not that he had much choice. Besides, giving Lance a taste of his own poison sounded good, right? He didn't like the sound of being humiliated worse, though. He guessed that in the end there wasn't a decision to make. He had nowhere to run. He yelped as Dinadan dragged him up and started marching him somewhere. It wasn't long before he realized it was the jousting field, where the tournament was taking place.

"No! Dinadan please, no! Not like this! At least let me dress!" Arthur protested, struggling again.

"Calm down, Artie. If things go according to plan, Lancelot will be the one they laugh at."

"And if they _don't_ go as planned?!" Arthur demanded.

"Well then you're no worse off than before. They'll probably turn on me first anyway," Dinadan replied.

"As well they should if the stories are true," Arthur sharply replied with a sneer.

"Bite me, Arthur," Dinadan replied.

"Probably already been done by someone," Arthur bit.

Dinadan smirked. "There's hope for you yet," he said. "Now let's sneak into the announcer's tower."

"Do I have a choice?" Arthur demanded. Dinadan's grip was firm.

"Nope," Dinadan replied, dragging Arthur into it and up the stairs. A bribe to the announcer inside, and after the man looked once more at Arthur in a cross between appal and shock, it was all theirs.

"Please. Don't do this," Arthur pled. "I can't take this embarrassment, Dinadan, you have to understand that! What if I was Daniel or Brunor?!"

"A valid point. But you're not either, so shut up and suck it up," Dinadan replied. "After you see the look on Lancelot's face, you'll forget all about your embarrassment."

"Dinadan, don't do…" Arthur began. Just then cheering sounded loudly and the two of them looked downwards at the field. Lancelot was parading proudly with a grin, raising his javelin high in the air. He high-fived Sagremore with a victorious cheer. Kay, his final opponent, was on the ground fighting to breathe and struggling to stand even _with_ Bedivere and Tristan's help. Arthur blinked in disbelief. His eyes narrowed coldly. "Go for it," he bluntly stated. He'd regret this, he knew, but seeing Kay like that and Lancelot lording it over his foster brother? Yeah, it wasn't going over well with the young king. Dinadan smirked.

KAK

"Damn! You okay, dude? He nailed you," Bedivere worriedly fussed over his friend.

"Just-just need to-to catch my breath," Kay said. He gave a gasp, holding his ribs.

"We need to wrap those," Gawain remarked, frowning in concern.

"He let you have it," Bors, Bohort, remarked, grimacing.

"I'm aware," Kay bit.

"Congratulations to the winner, Lancelot du Lac!" a voice from the announcer's tower said loudly. All eyes went to it in surprise. That voice wasn't the announcer's. Lancelot looked sharply up, confused. What now? His eyes widened in shock. Dinadan? "Hey Lance, how's it feel to be victorious? No, wait, don't tell us. We've heard the spiel about, oh, every time you get an opportunity to compensate for where you're lacking. Which is always." Chuckles spread through the audience. Lancelot started, looking ticked. "Seriously though, people, Lancelot's a thoughtful guy. I mean, take a gander at this gift he left for _me_!" Reaching back, Dinadan seized Arthur, who yelped in horror, placing him right in front for all eyes to see. Arthur went red as the audience burst into cruel laughter, taunting and pointing at him. Kay caught his breath, eyes widening. His heart dropped and he felt sick to his stomach. Oh no… Arthur…

"Whoa. Ouch," Bedivere said, eyes wide in shock. He almost felt bad for the kid.

Almost every spectator, and most of the jocks, laughed and laughed, but Lancelot didn't. His eyes were narrowed. Something wasn't adding up here. He didn't know what and he didn't care. He just knew it smelled fishy. "What? This is what you did with Arthur? Shove him in my brother's locker?!" Brunor hissed at Lancelot, narrowing his eyes accusingly at him. "What was your game, Lance? Hurt Din too? I didn't agree to that!"

"Shut up," Lancelot snapped, making Brunor jump in surprise before looking angrily away. Lancelot turned back to Dinadan.

"You know folks, I can only assume Lance wanted to bring one of his dreams to life and left Arthur for me as a subtle way to ask for my help to, I don't know, spice it up, maybe? Make this beautiful little specimen a sight to behold and send him on back to his secret love. I mean, I'm sure Lance knows it's not generally guys I go after unless I'm in a mood," Dinadan went on. The crowds were silent, the tension in the air starting to be a bit more obvious now.

Lancelot looked shocked and then utterly disgusted and appalled, but quickly he recovered. "A good theory, Dinadan, except you overlooked one thing! I'm totally into girls," he replied. There was nervous laughter.

Dinadan icily smirked. "Oh please, Lance. I mean everybody knows about your secret affair with Sir Galehaut!" Dinadan shot, sliding down a rope from the tower and landing on the ground. Lancelot paled, stiffening. What now?

Arthur's mouth dropped in shock as he stared down at Dinadan in disbelief. This guy was one of those guys who stayed under the radar if he could, and avoided involving himself with the jousting team and other jocks. In fact, he avoided even caring about them. Now he was taking Lancelot on in a head-on? Was he crazy? And to bring Mr. Galehaut into the picture in any way was basically a death sentence. Dinadan had just marked himself and his brothers. On top of that, if there was one thing King Galehaut didn't stand for, it was slander. Unless said slander was against Arthur, Arthur dryly noted. For some reason that teacher hated his guts. On another note, he was suddenly aware no one was paying attention to him anymore. Good.

KAK

Lancelot stared at Dinadan in utter disbelief. Suddenly he seemed to snap back to himself and scowled, dismounting his horse. "What did you say?" he growled.

"You heard me. You're Mr. Galehaut's little f-you know the rest boy," Dinadan sang.

"I am _not_ in a relationship with Sir Galehaut!" Lancelot shot.

"Are you kidding? The lunches shared together, the after school and after class private meetings, the getting together off school property," Dinadan answered, smirking coldly. "He likes them young and fresh, doesn't he? The strapping muscular ones, not the skinny ones."

Lancelot inwardly seethed, scowling menacingly. "At least he doesn't go for kids!" he suddenly snapped.

Dinadan started, smirk falling, then scowled. "You're dead!" he freaked, lunging at the star jock. Lancelot gave a battle cry and ran at Dinadan right back. The two tackled one another mercilessly and it wasn't long before they were on the ground.

"Din!" Brunor exclaimed in fear.

"Lance!" Bors cried nervously.

"Crap!" Arthur exclaimed. This was getting out of hand _way_ too fast. In nothing but bad ways. Swiftly he raced to a get some kind of covering on—a loose fitting shirt and trousers were the only things immediately available—and raced from the tower, darting towards the field. He was king now. He couldn't have his subjects—as much as he was loathe to give them any such acknowledgement—killing one another right in front of him and a whole field full of people! "Dinadan, Lancelot, stop!" Arthur shouted, racing to them. "Someone get the teachers, now!" The students, already worried and uneasy about what was happening, stumbled over themselves to appoint someone to get help. It was a boy named Blamore, the jock Bleoberis's brother, who broke away to find help.

"You freak of nature!" Lancelot viciously roared at Dinadan, finally managing to block the persistent punches that had come one after another after another without letup, until he'd been able to catch the fist and wrestle.

"You stain on the underbelly of society!" Dinadan yelled back, dropping an elbow on Lancelot's chest. Lancelot cried out in pain, feeling his ribs protest angrily.

"Lancelot!" Lance heard someone cry out. Hector, he knew. His vigor returned almost immediately on hearing his little brother, and viciously he began to grapple.

Arthur ran towards them, quickly closing the distance. His eyes widened in horror. Lancelot was fumbling for something at his waist. A dagger! He suddenly pulled it out and went to stab. "Lancelot, no!" Arthur cried out, putting on a burst of speed and diving.

"Dinadan!" Brunor exclaimed in fear, running towards them as well.

"Arthur!" Kay shouted in fear. Was his brother crazy?!

Arthur slid into the picture just in time to catch Lancelot's arm as it was tearing through the air aimed at Dinadan's neck. Dinadan caught sight of the dagger and caught his breath, realizing how close to death he'd come. "Stop, enough of this!" Arthur ordered.

"Oh, that's it!" Dinadan freaked, not even hearing. Knocking Arthur off, he leapt at Lancelot and wrapped his hands around the jouster's neck, squeezing so tightly that Lancelot immediately was unable to breathe, panic coming to his eyes as he felt his opponent's strength.

"Dinadan, are you crazy?!" Arthur exclaimed, pulling Lancelot's dagger away from Lance then full on body tackling Dinadan off the jock. "I order you two to stop!" Arthur shouted.

"Get off me!" Dinadan practically screamed in stark contrast to his usual humorously laid-back letch personality.

Arthur yelped, feeling himself torn away from Diandan and tossed to the side. Lancelot! "This is our fight, dork, not yours!" the jock shouted. He went for Dinadan again, but just then…

"Enough!" a furious voice shouted. Everything froze and a hush fell over the otherwise cheering or screaming crowds.

KAK

Arthur gasped, looking up. He paled. Principal Pellinore, Sir Ector, and King Galehaut! Ector had been the one who bellowed. Arthur and Kay both knew that bellow all too well. Dinadan shakily got to his feet. Lancelot stood still, pale as he stared at Galehaut. "Oh, look Lance, your boyfriend's back," Dinadan sneered.

Lancelot shot him such a murderous look that Dinadan almost braced for a tackle. "I said enough!" Ector snapped. Dinadan bit his tongue and Lancelot reigned himself in, turning to the three staff again.

"So, as we hear it there's been some conflict here? A little prank gone wrong, Lancelot? Again?" King Pellinore icily asked, glaring at Lancelot. Lancelot glanced down and said nothing. Pellinore turned to Dinadan. "I expected more from you," he coldly said.

"Whose mistake was that?" Dinadan mumbled.

"How right you are," Pellinore replied. Dinadan cringed.

"I will see you three in my office. Immediately," Galehaut coldly stated. He turned to Pellinore. "That is if you permit it, Pellinore, after learning what was said about my having an affair with a student."

"You're the last person in this _school_ I would ever believe was sharing his bed with an underage child," Pellinore answered. "Mainly because I already know you're sharing it with Lady…"

"Really? Now?" Galehaut demanded, giving the man a glare.

Pellinore smirked but stopped, much to the annoyance of many a now curious teenager. "And me," he teased too quietly for the students to hear.

"Wait, what?" Ector asked, stunned.

"That was once, we were drunk. You and I never touched because she was between… Oh god, what am I saying?" Galehaut hissed quietly. They had more serious matters to attend to right now.

Becoming serious again, Pellinore looked at Dinadan, Lancelot, and a pale Arthur. "Take them," he said to Galehaut.

"But I didn't do anything! I only tried to stop them!" Arthur protested, unable to keep quiet.

"You're right. So, you're coming with me instead and we're going to have a long, long talk about putting oneself in the middle of a knife fight. Especially when you're a king!" Ector snapped. "With your permission of course, Pellinore."

"Take him," Pellinore replied, waving his hand. Less for _him_ to deal with. Ector would give Arthur a lesson he wouldn't forget.

"But-but they were going to kill each other! Isn't it my job to protect my, ugh, 'subjects'?" Arthur protested.

"It seems I'm also going to have to give you a lesson about expendability," Ector said with a sigh. Which was something he'd wanted to avoid, he didn't believe anyone was expendable and hated that he would have to go through the Kings vs. Knights vs. Commoners vs. Slaves thing with Arthur, but the harsh reality was that from a purely pragmatic view, at the end of the day Arthur wasn't expendable. Lancelot and Dinadan were. Arthur started then bowed his head to hide the anger and frustration crossing his face. Immediately the three boys were herded off while Pellinore took to addressing the students, reassuring them and getting things at the tournament back on track.

KAK

Dinadan and Lancelot sat in Galehaut's classroom with arms folded, not even facing each other. Galehaut was behind his desk glaring at them. "What do you have to say for yourselves?" he finally asked.

"What's the point in me saying crap all? Everyone knows Lancelot's your precious little pupil. Heaven forbid you punish _him_ ," Dinadan replied. "He does you a little favor, you get some gratification, and all's good."

"You're trying to get under his skin even now, Dinadan? And mine?" Galehaut asked icily. Dinadan shifted uneasily and turned away with an embarrassed blush. Galehaut turned to Lancelot. "So, this is really the example you want to set for your brother and cousins, is it?" he bit. "And you too, Dinadan?"

Both boys cringed and exchanged slightly guilty looks before turning back to Galehaut frowning. "Hey, I've _raised_ my brothers. Lancelot's still raising _his_ family," Dinadan defended. At least a good chunk of them, but that was beside the point.

"You're not even _close_ to being done raising your siblings, so don't even pull that," Lancelot bit. "Some father you'll make."

"Coming from you?!" Dinadan demanded. "At least I had _my_ dad long enough to learn something. Lancelot started, looking deeply stung, then scowled, almost getting up to go at Dinadan again.

"You haven't answered my question. Either of you," Galehaut cut off, forcing their attention back on him. They turned to the teacher looking like a pair of deer caught in torch light. Again, both were quiet. "Well?" Galehaut questioned.

"No," they both said together in a mumble.

"What right do you have to talk to us about what we did anyway?" Dinadan continued.

"Yeah! You treat Arthur more unfairly than even _Pynchley_ did," Lancelot backed. Galehaut shot to his feet, slamming his hands down on the desk and making them both jump, eyes wide.

"Push me one more time, boys. I dare you," Galehaut threatened. They were silent. They knew better. "Now I like you both, so while I _should_ have you thrown in prison for raising a weapon against each other, when the king was in the midst of your fight no less, I'll just confine you to detention instead. Truth be told I wouldn't have minded it if Arthur _had_ ended up hurt or worse. Three weeks, no more no less, and know that you're getting off far more lightly than I should be allowed to let you."

"Yes sir," the two said together.

"Good. Now go," Galehaut said. Both boys rose and sulkily walked towards the door. "Lancelot, a word with you," the King said.

"Go crawl into his bed, Lancelot," Dinadan hissed in a whisper.

"Shut up or I'll see you hung for what they say you've done, innocent or not," Lancelot growled. Dinadan started and backed off, heading away bitterly. Lancelot, on the other hand, turned uneasily to Galehaut, shutting the door behind him.

"Sit down," Galehaut said, gesturing to the chair.

Lancelot approached it and sat. "In my defense, I wasn't going to just sit by while he slandered you like that!" he immediately blurted.

"Much like he's being slandered now?" Galehaut asked.

"Oh please. No one knows whether or not the rumors are true or who even started them," Lancelot replied.

"The same argument could be given for the rumors being spread about you and me. And what he's been accused of is worse, so that's not an excuse." Galehaut said. "That isn't my concern either. I'm a full-grown man, Lancelot. I can stand up for myself against these accusations, I don't need a 'knight in shining armor' doing it for me. I _am_ the knight in shining armor. Now tell me, why did Dinadan go at you like that? Usually he won't give you the time of day when you try to heckle him. He can't generally be bothered with a squire trying to rub him the wrong way."

"I don't know! He just did," Lancelot replied.

"Don't lie to me Lancelot," Galehaut warned, frowning.

"I didn't do anything!" Lancelot shot.

"Arthur wasn't wearing his regular clothes, I noted," Galehaut coldly said. Lancelot stiffened and was silent. "Alright, let's cut the crap. I know what you did, or have a pretty good idea, and that behavior is unacceptable! Do you have any idea the danger you put him in if any accusation regarding Dinadan is true? Do you have any idea how humiliating that must have been for the _King_? Now speaking as a king myself, I couldn't care less what happens to King Arthur. In fact, I have my own plans regarding him that are purely political and much less… safe than high school drama." He was in fact almost tempted to _join_ the rebel kings. "Speaking as a teacher, though, are you out of your head?! What if it had been Hector? Lionel? Bors? Bleoberis? Blamore?"

Lancelot shifted uneasily. "He was asking for it," he muttered.

"Oh was he?" Galehaut sarcastically asked. Lancelot was quiet. Galehaut sighed, massaging his temples. "Oh Lancelot…" After a moment, he looked up. "I know that since your father died… disappeared… things have been less than easy for you. I understand that it's been hard and confusing and painful. He was gone and your mother was just different and you felt responsible for everything. Especially for raising your brother when the Lady of the Lake put you to school. Gods know your mother couldn't be bothered, because all that had happened just… it messed her up so badly and she suddenly wasn't mom anymore." Lancelot cringed and all but curled up on himself, hanging his head low and wrapping his arms around his body tightly. Galehaut summed him up quietly. "I understand that acting out is your way to cope with things, but you need to find a different way because this can't continue. You're running out of chance's, Lance. I've done all I can to try and help you. When you wouldn't hear your Uncle because I don't know, you thought he had his hands full with Bors and Lionel I assume, and when you wouldn't hear anyone else, I made you hear _me_. I've tried my best to lighten the weight on your shoulders. I've done all I could for your sake because your father was dearer to me than you even know, and I promised him once that I would take care of you and your brother if something ever happened to him. Yet it doesn't seem to be enough, because you're still making these mistakes, you're still lashing out, and you're still running the patience of the staff very, very short. Get a grip. I'm serious. You _can't_ keep this up. I'm not going to continue standing up for you against the other staff, because apparently it's doing you no favors. Stop. Hector deserves a better role-model than that, and you have the potential to be an amazing one. You aren't a bad kid, you aren't the bully you pretend to be. You have these walls up around yourself and you don't need to. You have me, you have your Uncle, you have the Lady of the Lake, you have your brother and all your cousins and your friends. You have a support network, and a strong one at that, so use it, dammit. Use it!"

Lancelot was quiet, fighting back an unwelcomed burning in his eyes. "I just…" he began. He trailed off. He just what? Wished his father was here? His mother? One, those weren't excuses, and two, it had been over a decade, or coming up on one, and missing dad wasn't bringing him back. He felt like maybe he'd never truly let the man go. Mom… He loved her so much, but he loved his brother too, and mother wouldn't have anything to do with Hector. Some kid that wasn't hers? Yeah right. Once upon a time she would have, but time had scarred her badly. So what was he supposed to do? Leave Hector to some orphanage? He didn't think so.

"You miss him. I know. And your mother," Galehaut said gently.

Lancelot closed his eyes tightly. "Why did he just give up?" Lancelot whispered. "Weren't Hector and I enough? Hector at least if he thought I was dead! He had… He just…" Lancelot stopped. He didn't want to look back on those days. "He should have fought."

"He tried to… But I suppose the pain he felt in his heart was stronger than him," Galehaut remarked quietly.

"What if it ends up stronger than me too?" Lancelot murmured half to himself and half to Galehaut. If he was his parents' son, his coping mechanism prospects weren't too promising.

"You may be their child, but you're your own person, and I think that maybe you'll prove to be stronger than they ever were. You _have_ to be," Galehaut said. "You have double the resilience that either of them did, if you got it from both," he teased gently.

Lancelot nodded, smiling weakly. The lunch bells rang and his smile fell. "Oh dammit, I didn't make Hector a lunch," he realized suddenly, perking worriedly up.

"I did, Lancelot. Calm down. I made one for you as well," Galehaut said. "They're in the cabinet. Grab them and find your brother. Also, you two will be having dinner with me tonight, as will your Uncle and his sons, and your other cousins. Poor Bors has been so busy this last week that he's hardly had time to breathe. You forgot these two assignments in your dorm room too. I picked them up for you and took the liberty of organizing them properly so you're not in a frantic rush to get your layout in order last minute. I know full well they're due first thing after lunch, and I want you to actually enjoy this break instead of frantically rushing to get things in order for your next classes, or making plans for supper and figuring out a way to get Hector to his extracurricular activities on time. I'll deal with that part. I know Hector's schedule well enough. You see? It's much easier if you actually let others help you. It doesn't mean you're weak or not good enough, it means you're smart. Let me be the father-figure for a while, alright? I don't want you stressing yourself out this week. With luck, I'll see a drop in the number of incidents you end up involved in. Your days of riding the 'popular immunity' wave are done. They're cracking down on you. Fan-boy Pynchley isn't _in_ office anymore. Now you're dealing with Pellinore and _his_ handpicked staff. They're much less… biased. I thought it only fair to warn you."

Lancelot visibly relaxed and nodded. He rose and went to the cabinet, pulling out the two lunches, then headed for the door. Galehaut rose, shuffling some papers, then was almost knocked off balance as suddenly he ended up with his arms full of teenager. He blinked, surprised. "Thank you, sir," Lancelot said. Galehaut smiled affectionately, gently hugging Lancelot back and petting his hair lightly before pushing him back.

"Go on you. You hardly want the rumors about us spreading," the teacher teased.

"No kidding," Lancelot dryly replied. "It's like the concept of sibling or father-son relationships is lost on people, even when there's a big age difference."

Galehaut frowned. "It's not that big," he deadpanned in defense.

"Whatever old man," Lancelot teased, wickedly grinning. Immediately he bolted.

"Lancelot!" Galehaut angrily called. The jock was already gone. He sighed, shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you, boy?" he dryly asked out loud, an affectionate smirk crossing his lips.

KAK

Ector sat across from Arthur, who was looking down and bracing for a lecture. One he had no idea how to give. He'd never been good at this. "I didn't want to have to give you this talk for a long time to come yet. I'm not prepared to. I'll never be, I suppose. As far as I'm concerned, no one is expendable," he finally said.

"Then leave it at that," Arthur replied.

"That isn't how this works, Arthur," Ector said. "You're a king."

"I'm just a guy!" Arthur replied.

"You're a king," Ector repeated firmly, eyes narrowed. Arthur winced, looking down again. "And their sworn duty, from the moment they graduate this place and even before, will be to lay down their lives for you no matter what. Your job is to protect and care for your people. The job of a knight is to protect and die for _you_. Technically, you owe them nothing."

"Technically," Arthur replied. "But maybe I'm not the kind of king that can see the guys dying for him as toys that can be tossed away whenever he feels like doing something stupid."

"What you feel doesn't matter," Ector said. "A King is not expendable."

"They replaced Uncle Harald quickly enough," Arthur replied with a scoff.

"A king with no heir is not expendable," Ector bluntly corrected.

"Shrek and Fiona," Arthur defiantly replied.

"Arthur!" Ector angrily shot, shooting to his feet. Arthur stiffened, looking fearfully at him. "Don't be ignorant! I didn't bring you here so you could try and nitpick your way out of this, do you understand? You're king, end of story, and they're your cannon fodder! _I'm_ your cannon fodder!"

"I'm not like other kings then!" Arthur shot, shooting to his feet as well, glaring at Ector right back. "I wasn't going to just let them kill one another! I mean, their families were there, man!"

"What was that?" Ector asked.

"Sir, Ector, Dad," Arthur quickly corrected. "The point is as much as I'd love to see Lancelot disappear, I wasn't going to let them kill each other right in front of the whole school!" Ector and Arthur stared each other down for a long moment. Finally, Ector sighed, sitting again and massaging his temples. Arthur shifted uneasily and sat too. "Dad?" he uneasily asked.

"I understand that you don't want to see anyone die for you. I'm surprised that extends to your enemies, but I understand. That isn't an option anymore though, son. As much as you want it to be, it isn't… You know, the king before Harald was like you… He liked to do things for himself, to get out and be a presence on the battlefield, among his people, etc. Granted it was easier for him to detach himself than it seems to be for you, but he didn't like it," Ector said.

"Uther?" Arthur questioned quietly.

"Uther," Ector confirmed. He looked up at Arthur, seeming like he was about to build on that, but then refrained. "But we're talking about Arthur now. You need to understand something. This is what they're trained for. The most important lesson taught to knights in training is what they owe the king. What do they owe the king, Arthur? Detach yourself from that title and tell me. What do they owe the king or any government they may serve past, present, and future?" Arthur was quiet, refusing to answer. "Their loyalty," Ector finally said for him. "Their honor. Their conscience. Their freedom. Their individuality. Their _life_ … Their duty is to become just another knight on the battlefield. Just another pawn in a game of thrones and kingships and titles and governments. To be willing to fight not necessarily for what they believe in, but for what their leaders and governments believe in. Or want _them_ to."

"Ector, I…" Arthur began.

Ector stood and walked to a window. Arthur looked over, got the feeling he was to follow, then rose and came alongside him, looking down. On the field, a group of students were fighting one another in mock duels, decked out in full armor. "You're taught early on that the armor is purely for protection. To keep you alive and safe for as long as possible. Do you know what they learn as they enter the last few years of training?" Ector asked.

"Do I want to?" Arthur asked.

"No," Ector replied, smiling sadly. The smile fell. "But you need to… The boots so it's easier to wade through a sea of the dead. You don't trip as much when you can just crush as you go." Arthur winced, stomach churning slightly. "The greaves and breastplate so that the blood that would otherwise drench the fabric of your clothing and plague your conscience with a sight and smell that never leaves, can be detached from the reality of what you did. Then you can maybe, if you try very, very hard, pretend that the one wearing the armor wasn't you."

"Ector, I…" Arthur began.

"The shield, to identify you or an opponent when there's nothing left of you to identify," Ector said, staring at a shield hung on the wall. Arthur followed his eyes and shifted. Ector's shield, he knew. He didn't like where this was going… The teacher took it down, looked at it a moment, then soon showed it to Arthur. Arthur stared at the emblem, visibly upset. He'd known it since he was a child… Gently he traced it. Kay's was similar, but a little different. Ector turned the shield and Arthur caught his breath, taken aback. In fact, he had to choke back a sob. On it was etched the words:

 _I was a father of two beautiful little boys, and they were my world. I was a husband to a woman long dead. I was a friend to many. I was lord of my lands. I_ _ **was**_ _._

"Not everyone etches a summary within, but some will. I stopped reading the backs of shields long, long, long ago," Ector murmured, breaking into Arthur's thoughts. Arthur turned to him uncertainly. "The gauntlets are so you don't feel the cold or the warmth of the skin of the bodies that you loot, and realize they were just like you," Ector continued.

"Warmth?" Arthur asked.

"Not all of them are dead," Ector answered. Arthur shuddered subtly. "And the helmets… The helmets more than anything else… The helmets to make them faceless… It's easier to kill when you can't see their humanity… When someone seems generic, unimportant, inconsequential to anyone's story, it's easier to kill without guilt. When they have a name and a face and a history, not so much." He turned to his foster son. "That, Arthur, is the doom of every knight, great or small as they may be. Some will be remembered in stories, others never will, but in the end they all share the same doom. We're slaves. We just get to have the illusion of being a more elite and better treated kind. At the end of the day, though, really we're more expendable than even servants. Which brings us back to the question of said expendability again."

"Yes sir," Arthur quietly answered, willing to listen this time. Not to say he'd take everything to heart, Ector knew, but at least he'd listen and get an idea of what kind of game he was playing and how not okay his throwing himself between two duelling subjects had been.

"A king is the caretaker of his whole kingdom, a high king even more, of all the land. They deal with politics to try and avoid the wars that kill so many, they set up infrastructure to keep the land and their people functioning, they sort out trade to keep things evened out and avoid debts, and that's only to start. The whole country functions based on your decisions. The responsibility on your shoulders is far bigger than you realize. If a monarch dies a country stops. Turmoil breaks out, chaos erupts, power vacuums open up, and it's a general disaster until someone finally steps in to take the reigns again. If they don't, the land implodes on itself until someone takes charge once more, or until it is integrated into another power. If a knight dies, unless he is of particularly high birth it's just another faceless body on the battle field. Nothing stops, life keeps on going on. There is grief, but a kingdom's potential existence doesn't rest on it. You just go on. That, Arthur, is the reality of it. That is why you aren't expendable. That is why throwing yourself between Dinadan and Lancelot was a fool's errand, or had the potential to be. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Arthur quietly said. "But I don't agree."

"You don't need to," Ector answered. "But keep it in mind in future." Could he stop Arthur from intervening in such incidents? No. But at least Arthur might think more on the repercussions and double check himself before making a call like that again. "Go on, Arthur." Arthur nodded and left, head hung low. He was liking this king gig less and less.


	11. Confronting the Kings

Confronting the Kings

(A/N: Merlin convinces the kings to have an audience with Arthur, revealing to them things even Arthur doesn't know as of yet, and it goes about as well as you'd expect. Kind of paraphrased/summarized from Le Morte de Arthur, at least from Merlin's interactions with the kings and Arthur's. And the 'battle' near the end. And yes, in Morte de Arthur I'm pretty sure it was just those four against the army. Hence the reason 'battle' is more 'escape' here.)

Arthur walked out the hallway. "Arthur!" a voice said. He looked up. Dagonet looking concerned. "You okay?"

"No," Arthur admitted, looking down.

"What happened?" Dagonet worriedly asked.

"Just… a lecture," Arthur answered. "One I'd really rather not talk about right now, okay? I didn't get in trouble, it was just… never mind. Maybe I'll tell you later. Kind of want to forget it right now, though."

Dagonet nodded in understanding. "Oh, hey, have you seen Alymere?" he questioned.

Arthur started, paling. "Oh no. Lancelot and co grabbed him when they got hold of me!" Arthur replied.

Dagonet started, eyes widening. "What?!" he exclaimed. "Well where'd they bring him?!"

"I don't know," Arthur nervously replied.

"We brought him to the ruins and shut him in one of the rooms still standing," a voice said.

They turned and Arthur started. "Brunor?" he asked in shock. He was one of the guy's privy to this whole plot!

"I was never here," Brunor flatly said. "Just go get your friend out of there."

"But-but you were all _for_ this. You helped them take him! Why are you suddenly helping us?" Arthur asked.

"Because you saved my brother's life. That's all the reason I need. This is never happening again, loser, so enjoy it while you can. Go save your buddy. I have to find my siblings," Brunor answered. Turning, he left, leaving Arthur and Dagonet gawking after him in shock before exchanging alarmed looks and quickly racing out of Worcestershire to go to the ruins.

KAK

Dinadan walked out of the school with arms folded in front of him, looking sour and disgruntled. "Dinadan!" a voice called. He paused, looking up. His brothers, Daniel and Brunor. Daniel was the one who'd called out, he saw. Inwardly he grimaced. So much for sulking. Time to put on a brave face. He smiled, relaxing his body posture.

"Who do you even think you're kidding?" Brunor asked, frowning as they came up to him. "What happened in there? Lancelot flirt his way out of punishment?"

"He means are you okay?" Daniel asked, frowning at his and Dinadan's half-brother.

"Galehaut was fairer than I gave him credit for," Dinadan admitted, smiling and recovering quickly to his usual self. "I don't think Lance was conning his way out of that one."

"And Arthur?" Brunor asked.

"You saw. Ector whisked him off to wherever. When is having your parent whisk you off for a talk ever good?" Dinadan replied.

"What's your deal with Arthur? It's not like he's ever done anything to you," Daniel said, shaking his head at Brunor.

"He's one of Lancelot's sheep," Dinadan heckled, grinning tauntingly.

Brunor frowned. "Hey, I prefer to attach myself to the winning side, okay? If it means pushing around a few losers, whatever. Nobody messes with the jousting team or Lancelot's friend group."

"Aw, are you afraid the big bad bullies are going to beat you up, little brother?" Dinadan taunted. "Guess that's as good a reason as any to follow a crowd."

"Screw you, Dinadan," Brunor heatedly replied, eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't understand anyway. You're in the senior wing."

"So's Kay," Daniel pointed out.

"Kay gets it because it's his pathetic foster brother who's _getting_ the sharp end of the stick," Brunor answered. "Lance gave Kay a taste of what happens to people who take sides against him today at the tournament. The trick to living is picking the right side."

"I pick my own side," Dinadan replied, shrugging it off. "But if I had to choose? About now I'd be taking Arthur's. Sick and tired of Lancelot's BS. Punk kid needs the paddle. Now, excuse me while I go mingle with the fairer sex." His brothers looked in the direction his eyes were fixed and grimaced. A group of girls not far off were making eyes at them. Dinadan grinned lecherously, rubbing his hands together. "Just say nay my foot," he added, pushing passed his siblings to go put the moves on them. And hopefully bait them someplace isolated.

"Really, Din?!" Daniel called after him in disgust.

"Big brother got the moves. I should take lessons," Brunor said.

"You a chivalrous letch? Yeah right," Daniel replied.

"I could be! You should look into it too. You might learn something, kiddo," Brunor answered, smirking. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my warmup."

"Be careful out there, Brunor," Daniel worriedly answered.

"You worry too much," Brunor said, waving to him as he left. Daniel, left alone, looked around and cringed. Sighing, he bowed his head. He guessed it was back to the library to read, then. Not like he had any friends to hang out with anyway.

KAK

Lancelot searched the school yard for his brother. "Hector? Hector!" he called out.

"Over here, Lance!" a voice replied. He looked in its direction, scanning for his brother. A figure scrambled up a pole and waved at him. Ah, there he was. Lancelot made his way towards said pole. Reaching it, he saw Hector and Lionel sitting on its base.

"Where's Bohort?" Lancelot asked.

"In the chapel," Lionel replied.

"What got him all into the pantheons anyway?" Lancelot asked, mystified. It seemed to happen practically overnight, that Bors went from one of his most reliable wingmen to the one most often taking the moral high-ground. Bors had always been more open to that kind of stuff, of course, but usually he'd just blindly followed _him_ and ignored his misgivings about everything.

"Maybe because we're growing up?" Lionel replied. "We're at the age we don't blindly follow anymore, Lance."

"Dammit. He was one of my heavyweights," Lancelot said. It had really helped that Bohort was guaranteed to pass for far older than he was. The kid had hit puberty prematurely. Looked like a teenager before he'd even reached his teens, growing tall and big fast. It had near panicked his cousin, but Bors the Elder, had reassured his son by telling him that _he'd_ hit puberty early too. There was a whole talk about how it was frightening but it would be okay, reassurances, etc, and it had all evened out eventually. Bors had learned quickly to put the fact he looked older than he was to good use. So had Lancelot.

"He's not one of your heavyweights anymore," Hector said, snickering. Bohort had lost a lot of weight recently.

"He still has his uses," Lancelot replied. "Here's your lunch, baby brother."

"Thanks Lance," Hector cheerily replied, beaming up at his sibling and taking it eagerly. "I was starving. About my after-school stuff…"

"Galehaut will take care of that," Lancelot replied. "I have to study, but he's got it all under control."

"We're coming to dinner with you guys soon too, aren't we?" Lionel questioned.

"Yep. It's still on," Lancelot assured.

"What about our other cousins?" Lionel asked.

"Yep," Lancelot answered, looking up towards the chapel given he'd caught sight of Bohort emerging from it. "There you are!" he called out to him.

"Sorry Lance," Bors answered. "I was helping Baudwin. Did everything go okay?"

"It went… fine," Lance assured, glancing away. More or less. Emotional, but fine.

Hector frowned worriedly. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"How about we eat?" Lancelot replied, putting on a forced smile. It was apparent he wasn't fooling Hector. Bors looked unconvinced but not certain what to think, and Lionel took it at face value.

"I'm starved. Lets," Lionel agreed, turning immediately to his food and digging into it. It was about a thousand times more edible than the cafeteria food.

KAK

"Alymere? Alymere!" Arthur called out as he and Dagonet searched the ruins for the missing boy.

"Arthur, over here!" Dagonet called out suddenly. Arthur turned and saw his jester standing outside of something that looked like it might have been a tomb or closet once. A rock blocked the entrance. "I think he's here. I hear movement. Hey Astomar, are you there?! Hold on, we'll get you out!" Dagonet called. Quickly Arthur scrambled to help.

"Alymere, you okay?!" Arthur called worriedly in.

"The second I'm out of here, I want to bathe off the dust and blood," Alymere answered.

"Blood?" Arthur worriedly said.

"It isn't bad, just my wrists from trying to get free," Alymere assured. "They didn't actually physically beat me up say for a punch in the gut."

"You're lucky," Arthur flatly said.

"Yeah, being left to the elements is real lucky," Alymere answered. "Just hurry. I'm getting claustrophobic.

"We've got you, man, stay calm," Dagonet said. He and Arthur got in position to push the rock. "Count of three?"

"Works for me," Arthur replied. "One. Two… Three!" Together they pushed. The stone slowly began to grind. "Keep. Pushing," Arthur said through gritted teeth. It rolled away and they gasped for breath before looking in. Alymere was standing there looking immensely relieved.

"No way, they tied you up?!" Dagonet demanded, looking at the ropes.

"I slipped out of them," Alymere answered. "Literally, given how wet my wrists ended up after they started bleeding. That's why bathe. Goodness knows I need the stress reliever. I couldn't open the rock that blocked me in by myself. For a while I honestly thought I was going to be stuck there alone for a few days. How did you find me?"

"Brunor," Arthur replied.

"Brunor? You serious? He was helping them!" Alymere said.

"I know. But then Dinadan nearly got knifed by Lance and I stepped in to save them both from one another, and I guess Brunor felt like he owed me a favor for saving his brother," Arthur replied.

"Wait, what?" Alymere asked. "No wait, tell me on our way back to the school. Let's go. I need water and refreshment."

"You sure you're doing okay?" Dagonet asked, pulling out a cloth and ripping it in half before handing the pieces to Alymere to wrap his wrists with.

"Yeah, I'll be good," Alymere assured slightly tensely.

"Why did they do this to you?" Arthur asked. "I thought they would have offered you a chance to make up for it."

"They did. I didn't take it," Astomar replied.

"What?" Arthur asked, visibly shocked.

Astomar smirked. "It was good piggybacking off them for a while, but after you guys I kind of had my eyes opened to how shallow it was. I think I actually might prefer being treated like trash and suffering it with a few good friends than being treated like an untouchable and skirting through life with a bunch of shallow acquaintances at best," he answered.

"You chose to be treated like crap with me instead of treated like a hero with them?" Arthur asked. "They hit you too hard?" Alymere chuckled and playfully bumped his friend, not answering. He walked ahead and Arthur was left staring after him in shock. Alymere had chosen _him_?

"So, comfortable with calling Alymere friend now?" Dagonet teased, grinning at Arthur as he passed him. Arthur was quiet, still trying to grasp it. Whoa. Shaking out of the surprise, he hurried to catch the other two. As they neared the gates of the school, they heard the sound of horses and turned. Arthur started. The messengers! And if the terror on their faces was anything to go by, the news wasn't good. A cold dread seized his heart and he swallowed. Uh oh...

KAK

Back in the school, Arthur listened to his messengers in horror. Everyone _with_ him did, mouths agape. "Are they serious? They're just going to attack a school like that?!" Arthur demanded, fear shooting through him. "There are kids here!"

"They said if anyone doesn't want to die, they'd best lock themselves away. Odds are that doesn't extend to you though, my liege," a messenger replied. Lillian's pulled Arthur close to her, fear in her eyes.

"They can't do that!" Shrek protested in alarm and shock. What was their gripe with Artie anyway? It wasn't like the kid had done anything to them!

"Galehaut, gather all the children and make sure they do exactly what we tell them to," Pellinore ordered, turning to King Galehaut. Galehaut bowed and hurried to do so. "Meliot, Morholt, gather the pages and squires and do the same. Some of the squires will no doubt argue to be allowed to fight, maybe some Pages too, but use your judgement in that case," he said to the Morholt and Meliot.

"It will be done," Morholt answered for both himself and Meliot.

"And Arthur," Pellinore said, turning to the boy. Arthur looked fearfully at him. Pellinore was stopped a moment, seeing the vulnerability in the youth's eyes. Gods, he was too young to have to deal with this. "You'll go with them all into Worcestershire's strongest tower. Five-hundred men will be sent with you, all of you, to protect you if they break through Worcestershire's defenses. Stay there and do exactly what we tell you to do, nothing more and nothing less." Arthur nodded, too shocked to argue.

"Dad!" a voice called out. Pellinore turned quickly and started, seeing his sons entering. Tor had been the one to call out.

"Boys, go back out there and do whatever it is Morholt told you to do," Pellinore ordered.

"What's going on? Is there going to be war?" Percival demanded.

"A siege, maybe. I'm reluctant to verify there'll be war right now," Pellinore answered.

"What's going on? How'd it get so wrong?" Lamorak sang. Literally sang. In song. Yeah. Song.

"Let us guess, Arthur's fault?" Dornar bit, frowning at Arthur. Arthur hung his head.

"Enough, Dornar!" Pellinore sharply ordered. "Just go. All of you. Don't worry. We'll be alright."

"But father…" Aglovale began.

"Go!" Pellinore ordered again, pointing. "And take the new king with you." They didn't move for a moment, but soon they turned and slunk out with Arthur, who appeared guilt-stricken and really, really didn't want to be in the midst of the five sons of a king who would be among those out in the forefront fighting. This was his fault, he realized. If anyone died, it was because of him! But it wasn't his choice to be king, it wasn't! It's just how it happened! He hadn't wanted… Oh gods this was a nightmare. Barely into his reign and this was what he was facing? Just how much chaos had Uther's death thrown the kingdom into really? He got the feeling he'd never even known half of how much there had been.

KAK

By nightfall they heard the sounds of an army attempting to enter into Worcestershire academy, surrounding it and trying to find any weak spot they could. Arthur had curled up far, far away from everyone and wouldn't even let his family or friends come near, not even looking up. There had to be some way to fix this, there had to be! "Arthur…" a voice began.

"Morgan?" he said before she could continue. He looked at her. "Why is Uriens here?"

"That wasn't my call!" she insisted. And she would have her husband's head for this if her brother was killed.

"No… guess it wasn't…" Arthur replied, looking away again. "Can you contact Merlin?" he soon asked.

"You mean communicate with him?" Morgan asked.

"Maybe he'll know what to do. How to fix this or defuse it for a bit," Arthur replied.

Morgan was quiet. "You have a plan," she soon noted. "So, you aren't just being a coward like everyone thinks after all."

"No! Seriously, that's what they're saying? Just because I isolated myself and curled up into a ball on the floor and… Oh. I see how they might have gotten that impression," Arthur said, grimacing and flushing. "Look, can you do it?"

"He'll be here," Morgan answered, smiling amusedly. "All you have to do is survive the days until he comes."

"Days?" Arthur asked tensely.

"He likes to make you wait," Morgan replied, shrugging and standing again. Arthur looked passed her at the whispering squires and pages and grimaced. Ooh… He didn't want to be here. At all. Maybe he should move himself up higher into the tower.

KAK

It had taken only a day before they were allowed back outside the tower. Not outside the gates, but outside the tower. Arthur got the feeling the teachers had allowed it so that the other students wouldn't decide to turn on him. They'd made a good call. Right before the announcement came, Lancelot had been pacing darkly like some lion caged up. Near him, his cousins and half-brother had all been glaring at the new king, eyes filled with anger and disgust. Lancelot had gone to the window, looking out. He'd been doing it constantly, no doubt worried for his uncle and for King Galehaut, who he was extremely close to for whatever reason. A lot of rumors had sprung up surrounding _that_ relationship. Bringing up those rumors in Lancelot's presence was as good as a death sentence.

Lancelot cursed under his breath, turning sharply on Arthur with a scowl. "I say we feed you to them," he said with a sneer. Given the way others started to rise and murmur, Lancelot wasn't alone in the sentiment. Shrek, Fiona, Lillian, Puss, and Donkey had all stood between them and him, but Arthur had prepared to try and fight his way out regardless because even they couldn't take on a whole school. Just then Lancelot's uncle, Bors the Elder, had come in and told them they could leave the tower but not the school grounds. Arthur nearly passed out in relief.

It was clear Worcestershire could hold out for a while against the armies, but nonetheless it was a tense fifteen days of hell—at least it felt like fifteen—before Merlin finally showed up. Fifteen days of running and hiding and avoiding and fending off attacks, or ignoring furious shouts and curses from students whose fear was building or who had loved ones battling, before the wizard finally decided he had better show up. He didn't show up in the school, though. He showed up in the middle of the armies, and they were all left gawking from the walls as the nut chatted the six rebel kings up like he was totally unconcerned about all the swords and arrows and spears menacing him, or the furious rulers. They couldn't hear what he was saying, but the fighting had stopped so that was good, right?

"You've just had the most eventful first few days of kingship in history," Dagonet remarked to Arthur as he came up alongside him with Alymere.

"Only you could fail a coronation and end it with war, Arthur. Only you," Alymere, aka Astomar, said.

"The coronation went fine! It was… the feast afterwards that didn't. And that wasn't my fault! They decided to come, I didn't invite them!" Arthur defended.

"All you had to do was pick up a sword, put on a crown, and throw a feast, and now we're besieged," Alymere said.

"Jump off the wall!" Arthur shot.

"Wonder how Merlin's talking his way out of this," Dagonet mused.

"Guess we'll soon learn," Alymere answered.

KAK

Meanwhile, down on the battle field the kings were glad for the distraction that was Merlin. It had been days of frustration and not making a dent in the walls, and it was grating on their nerves like nothing else ever had. Of course, they forgot this was Merlin and that the frustration they'd endured thus far could just as easily be dwarfed by whatever frustration Merlin brought. "For what cause is the boy Arthur made your king?!" Nentres of Garlot demanded of Merlin sharply.

"Sirs, I'll tell you why. Boy will I ever tell you why. See, he's King Uther Pendragon's son," he declared.

"What?!" Lot demanded, eyes widening in shock. King Uther's son? That made him… But last he'd checked that baby had died in childbirth!

"Yep! Born in wedlock, gotten on Igraine the Duke's wife of Tintagil," Merlin replied. "Jokes on you three," he added, pointing to Uriens, Nentres, and Lot. "You're fighting your own brother-in-law! He may not know it yet, of course, but hah!"

"Arthur is Morgan's _brother_?!" Uriens exclaimed in shock, eyes widening. "I thought they were just friends! Why didn't she ever tell me?!"

"Merlin's lying! Igraine's child died in childbirth!" Nentres argued, slightly pale. "The news was everywhere, that the king's heir was no more." He looked sharply at Merlin. "You're lying! You have to be!"

"Nah, I hid him away! It was for his own protection," Merlin replied. "I mean a nation in turmoil, Morgause lusting for the throne, the risk of a resentful Lot getting all bitter and taking Anna's advice, etcetera. It was safer to hide him away. Hey, Morgan knew the whole time. Thought she would have at least told her husband." Uriens winced at the two-edged remark. Lot looked stunned.

"Does he even know about Elaine? Morgause? Cador? _Igraine_?! Does he even know he has other siblings? That he has nephews? That he isn't an orphan?" Uriens demanded, recovering himself.

"You kidding? Morgan hasn't even told Arthur she has _kids_ let alone siblings. She hasn't even told your boys, Lot, that she's their aunt. Not that you've been any better when it comes to that," Merlin said. Lot winced slightly. He'd never been as good at communication as he would have liked to be. He'd always assumed Morgause had told them, or would. His sons knew about Elaine and Cador, despite how little they saw each other, so why not Morgan? It wasn't like Morgause hadn't had contact with her. Morgan was probably his wife's _favorite_ sibling. There was no reason he could think of as to why Anna would have kept her existence quiet from their sons! And that she had made him a little uneasy and suspicious. Morgause never did anything without a purpose. "Don't take it so hard. Morgause is as tight-lipped as Morgan," Merlin brushed off.

Lot, visibly flustered, was quiet. "You're saying… Merlin, you…" he began. He trailed off, stunned. "If he was begat on Igraine, Arthur's a bastard," he soon said, trying to save face as he quickly composed himself.

"Nope. Joke's on you again. Arthur was conceived more than three hours after the Duke was killed, and Uther married her thirteen days after Gorlois's death, so yeah. He's legit. Therefore, I prove him he is no bastard, and who saith nay… Ah screw it. If you keep denying it, it's your funeral. He shall be king and overcome all his enemies, and unless by some weird twist of fate—they like to do that sometimes—he dies within a year, he'll be king of all England a long time to come. I mean, this kid is something else. He'll have Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and more realms than I can even name right now under his obeisance," Merlin stated.

At this, some of the kings marvelled at Merlin's words and determined it would be as he said. Others laughed. Others still reacted more with fear and uncertainty, calling Merlin a witch. For a moment, there was arguing amongst them all before they seemed to come to an agreement. Finally, Lot turned to Merlin. "Alright, sorcerer, we'll see. Let King Arthur, my 'brother-in-law', come out and speak with us. He can come safely and he can go safely, I promise. But as to what happens after he gets back behind Worcestershire's walls? Well, we'll see."

"Sure thing! I'll grab him and be back in a jiffy. Err, best you recall your promise and keep it. Best for all of us," Merlin said. It was a threat, but they probably couldn't tell the way he'd said it. Merlin strolled off to get Arthur to come down.

KAK

Arthur gaped in shock at Merlin's proposition, stunned. Ector was immediately protective and defensive, looking ready to cut Merlin in two if he seriously implied this again. "Don't worry, kid. Like I said, I fixed it for you! You come and go unharmed," Merlin assured.

"Merlin, this is a really bad…" Arthur began.

"Nonsense! Don't be afraid, my little friend, just go out there boldly and speak with them. Don't mince words, don't ballet around them, but answer them as their king and chieftain. Because I'm telling you now, Artie, you will overcome them all whether they hear you or refuse to. Promise."

Arthur grimaced, looking down, then sighed. "Alright," he finally relented.

"Arthur, no! Don't do this," Ector said worriedly.

"I'll be fine, dad," Arthur assured. He hoped. Oh, he was going to regret this.

"Wait, are you seriously considering doing this? This is the teacher who had a nervous breakdown and ended up fired. He's a nut job!" Alymere argued.

"Yeah? Well I'm king now, and I have to figure out a way to fix this before people start dying, Alymere. Or at least try to!" Arthur replied.

"I'm going with you," Kay said immediately.

"Kay!" Ector said.

"I'm going, dad! No way is Arthur doing this alone," Kay said.

"I'll accompany them as well, Ector," Sir Baudwin stated.

"And I," Sir Brastias declared. "They'll be alright."

Ector winced and looked about ready to join them too. "The fewer who approach the better," Merlin put in.

Ector let out an uneasy breath. "Damn you if either of my boys ends up dead or hurt," he said.

"They won't, Ector," Baudwin promised.

"Hopefully the coward doesn't come back," Arthur heard Lancelot mutter. From the sounds of it, more than one person was echoing that sentiment. He cringed. Kay looked ready to kill whoever spoke like that about his sibling again, so quickly they got him out of there as Puss and Donkey instead took over berating the other students and or threatening them.

KAK

Arthur approached cautiously on horseback with his little entourage, on high alert. The kings waited patiently, coldly and warily observing him.

"Is that Sir Caradoc?" Kay asked Sir Brastias uncertainly. He'd been the young and recently graduated school physician around the time Arthur had pulled the sword from the stone, before quitting the job shortly after. He hadn't been around for a while, but he'd been one of the best doctors they'd ever had. Caradoc, Carados, he went by both.

"Yes," Brastias answered.

"Why is he with them?" Kay asked, slightly upset. He'd liked the guy.

"King Caradoc will come around," Brastias promised. In fact, he'd probably be among the first to. Caradoc knew full well whose birthright the throne was, and now that Merlin had confessed Uther was Arthur's father… It was just a matter of Caradoc coming to terms with that. Brastias glared warningly and darkly at the young Carados, who glanced to the side avoiding his stare, already seeming torn.

As Arthur approached, Lot and his entourage glared at him. Arthur swallowed, feeling nervous, but he had to do _something_. Or at least try and get them to leave without bloodshed. "So, this is the boy who would be king," Lot said loudly so those watching from Worcestershire could hear too. He turned to Arthur challengingly.

"This is the boy who _is_ king," Arthur replied equally as loudly. There was no meekness or fear in his voice. If he was scared, which he was, he was masking it expertly. On the wall, the others started and began murmuring.

"Did he just stand up to Lot?" Hector asked Lancelot. Lancelot was quiet, eyes wide in surprise. He was suddenly interested in where this conversation was going to lead. That had been… unexpected.

Lot sneered darkly at Arthur. "You're nothing but a bastard child abandoned to a glorified orphanage," he loudly declared. "A school of the unwanted."

"I'll let Gawain and his brothers know that's how you feel about them," Arthur challenged right back. "Oh wait, you already did!"

Lot started, fury darkening his eyes, and went to strike him, but Carados quickly caught his wrist. "Lot, no," he warned.

Lot scowled at Arthur darkly and looked towards the wall, seeking out his children and inwardly wincing on seeing the hurt in their expressions. "Touché," Lot relented. "I'll be more careful with my insults in future so as not to spread talk."

"You never went here, did you?" Arthur deadpanned. Rumors were probably already flying. "Nice job old man. You just ruined their semester."

"The only reason my sons went here was at the insistence of their mother," Lot defended quickly, immediately leaping on the escape Arthur had unintentionally given him. Damage control on the fly. It helped that it was true.

"Oh, so you're the breeding horse! I get it. Their mother wants to pump as much as she can out of you, huh?" Kay couldn't help but bite.

"Dude!" Arthur exclaimed in shock. Lot looked enraged, mouth agape.

"Oh god," Agravaine groaned from his place next to his brothers on the wall of Worcestershire, sinking down. The year was over for them.

"Great. Guess now we're the prized geldings," Gareth said, rolling his eyes.

"Let's not antagonize them further, boys," Baudwin warned Kay and Arthur in a quiet growl.

"Look King Lot, I don't want trouble. I just want to carry out my duty. I want to talk this out. I don't want bloodshed and given your sons attend this school, I'm near certain you'd like to avoid fighting too," Arthur said, dropping the volume and making it between him and the kings only. Caradoc observed silently, curiously, as did the King of the Hundred Knights who couldn't be much older than _him_ , Arthur noted. What was his name, he wondered? "Just accept it and go. Because I'm not renouncing my throne."

"You'll never be a king," Lot sneered.

"Leave. Or as I live I swear I'll make you bow," Arthur threatened. He really, really hoped Lot didn't call the bluff. Lot looked enraged, but didn't speak. "If we're done here, keep yourselves well," he said to the kings.

"Keep you well too… brother-in-law," Uriens remarked to him, which earned him a scathing glare from both Lot and Nentres. More Lot than Nentres. Not that Uriens noticed. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact Arthur was his wife's brother. He looked up at the wall and spotted Morgan there, glaring darkly down at him. Gods she was beautiful… Gods she hated him… He winced, turning his horse to lead his men away. Carados followed his lead, as did the King with the Hundred Knights, then the King of Scotland, then Nentres.

Lot remained a long moment, glaring at Arthur, but Arthur wasn't leaving until _he_ did. Finally, Lot scoffed and turned his horse to follow the others. He looked back. "We aren't through yet, boy," he threatened. Arthur glared until he'd gone out of sight, then breathed a shaky sigh, courageous façade dissolving to immense relief. He couldn't believe that actually worked!

"Get back to the tower. We'll rearm. We have to be ready, just in case this isn't them backing down. They may just be plotting," Brastias warned. Arthur nodded and rode back with his entourage as the students and commons on the wall gaped in wonder. Except they were short one person. Merlin.

KAK

The kings were gathered around, planning out an offensive. One that would, with luck, cost little life, end quickly, and end in Arthur's death. "What will you do?" a voice asked from behind. All of them spun, ready to draw their swords. On seeing it was Merlin, they relaxed, though still seemed guarded. "You were better off just leaving. You won't prevail here, not even if you were ten times as many as you are."

"Are we well advised to be afraid of a dream-reader?" Lot sneered. Merlin's eyes narrowed and he vanished away.

"You and your big mouth," Nentres said. "Now we're in for it. He's going to tell our alleged brother-in-law that we never left, and he's going to move against us before we can even assemble," Lot cringed, regretting he hadn't just bit his tongue.

KAK

Merlin appeared in Worcestershire and looked around for King Arthur. He found him with some of the teachers and approached. "Alright kid, set on them fiercely," Merlin said.

"Wait, what? They left. I'm not attacking them if they're not planning on attacking us," Arthur replied.

"You really think they left? No. They're plotting as we speak. You'd be smart to just attack them before they can attack you," Merlin said.

"That will be seen as a provocation. As far as they know, Arthur doesn't realize that they're planning," Ector said.

"They know I know, and they know I _know_ they know that I'll tell him," Merlin replied. "And I have, so go for it. It'll be no problem!"

"Yeah right!" Arthur exclaimed, alarmed.

"You'll be fine. Look," Merlin said, turning Arthur around. Arthur's mouth dropped, as did the mouths of the teachers. Outside Worcestershire's walls stood three hundred knights under a flag of truce, some from each King's company.

"Holy sh…" Arthur began. "What?!"

"Turns out a few of them were willing to listen to the dream-reader after all," Merlin said. He got the feeling most had probably been sent by Carados and Uriens. "And looks like they're among the best the kings had."

"Open the gates!" Pellinore shouted out. Maybe now they'd stand a fighting chance if the kings came against them with intent to war.

Merlin looked to Arthur. "Young sir, I'd advise you not fight with the sword that you had by miracle unless you end up in a really, really tight spot. _Then_ you can draw it out and do your best," Merlin said.

"You… really think I should go to them while they're camped out?" Arthur asked uneasily. He didn't like the sound of that plan.

"Why not? It's that or wait for them to come to you," Merlin replied. With that he walked away.

"Don't listen to him, Arthur," Pellinore said. "They're three hundred knights weaker. Maybe they'll get some sense and see it isn't in their best interests to attack."

"Maybe," Arthur replied uneasily. But he couldn't take that chance. He looked towards Kay, Baudwin, and Brastias. Maybe, if he took only them, he could try once more to warn the kings off so killing didn't have to happen. As soon as the teachers were gone, say for Brastias and Baudwin, he went to them and Kay and murmured his plan to them.

KAK

They approached the camp of the kings gradually. This is a really, _really_ bad idea," Brastias warned Arthur. Arthur was quiet, kind of regretting not listening to Merlin. He regretted it even more when he saw Nentres catch sight of him and alert the others to his presence.

"You should run. Both of you," Baudwin said to Kay and Arthur seriously.

"Arthur, let's go," Kay pled. Arthur hesitated.

"King Arthur!" Lot called out, and Arthur paused, heart skipping a beat. "You realize of course you were only to come and go safely once, correct?"

"I just… three hundred of your men have joined me. Why are they more reasonable than their kings?" he asked, trying valiantly to hide the unease in his voice. "Sirs, just go. Please. I don't want there to be death. _Any_ death. You should want the same."

"We do," Lot replied.

"So we'll take you out as painlessly as we can, and those that came with you can either die or be captured and sent back," Nentres said.

"Seize him!" Lot ordered. Immediately knights set forth, racing towards the horribly outnumbered Arthur and co. Immediately Arthur prepared to fight back with the other three.

"Dammit!" Kay exclaimed, drawing his sword. "If we're going down, it won't be easily!" As knights closed in on them, Kay took off to meet them.

Arthur gaped in disbelief and worry. "Kay!" he cried out as it dawned on him what had just happened. Immediately he rode to aid his brother, teeth gritted determinedly as he tried to bury his fear. Behind him came Brastias and Baudwin to help Arthur escape alive. Ghostly knights began to crawl from the ground and Arthur inwardly cheered. Merlin's handiwork, no doubt. Merlin was watching out for them and using his powers to help them.

 _So forthwithal King Arthur set upon them in their lodging. And Sir Baudwin, Sir Kay, and Sir Brastias slew on the right hand and on the left hand that it was marvel, and always King Arthur on horseback laid on with a sword and did marvellous deeds of arms, that many of the kings had great joy of his deeds and hardiness_.

Actually, Arthur and co were trying to retreat to Worcestershire for the whole of those 'marvellous deeds of arms'. He was fighting to escape, not to confront. Now that he knew no peaceful arrangement would be agreed on, confrontation was the _next_ step. He just had to get back.

 _Then King Lot brake out on the back side, and the King with the Hundred Knights, and King Carados, and set on Arthur fiercely behind him._

"Whoa!" Arthur exclaimed, reigning in his horse in alarm. The attackers set on him harshly and frantically he tried to fight back, working on desperation. Desperation to get the ones who had come out here with him back alive. They regrouped with him quickly to help him break free of the surprise attack. "Guys, what are you doing?! Get to Worcestershire! Hurry!" Arthur shouted to the other three as the ghostly knights appeared and began to try and clear a path for them.

"Arthur, run!" Baudwin shouted. The king had no place staying behind to try and ensure his men all stayed alive. He needed to live! Arthur didn't go, though, even though he knew he probably should. He had no idea _why_ he didn't. Probably because he figured he wouldn't stand a chance anyway. Suddenly the horse he was riding whinnied in pain and collapsed, Arthur crying out. It took him a second to process the horse had been killed under him. It took him less than a second for him to realize he was as good as dead now. He tried to stand and was struck violently by someone. He cried out, collapsing. Dazed, he looked up and caught his breath. King Lot! He was going for a killing blow.

"No!" he heard Kay shout, and suddenly Lot cried out in pain as an arrow hit him. "Arthur!" he heard Kay frantically shout. "Arthur, get out of there!" He gasped and didn't argue. Quickly he scrambled up and began shoving through the fighting soldiers to try and make it back to safety or to a better position, cursing under his breath all the way. He blocked an attack and kicked the knight back, then locked blades with a second before quickly managing to move away and around him and make a break for it again. Suddenly the others were there. "Artie, come on!" Kay shouted, offering his hand. Arthur seized it and Kay pulled him up onto his horse, breaking for Worcestershire!

They rode up to the gates at a gallop. The gates were already partially open and the king and his companions barrelled inside. Immediately the gates were shut back up again, and before Arthur and Kay could even catch their breath they were both dragged off their shared horse into Ector's arms and all but smothered by the man. Then Lillian. Then Shrek, Fiona, Puss, and Donkey all. Tightly they held onto them right back.

"Get everyone to the assembly hall. Now. We need to start discussing evacuation plans," King Pellinore seriously said, marching up to them. Numbly Arthur nodded. He had to figure out how to fix this. There had to be a way to end it, there had to be! And this time he wouldn't be stupid about it. Well, he'd try not to be at least.


	12. A Plan in Play

A Plan in Play

The students sat in the gym quietly and fearfully, unsure what to expect or what would happen. Pellinore paced back and forth, trying to determine how to do this. "Those of you who are for certain safe, leave out the front gates and return to your families," he finally said. Any family or friends of any of the kings would be okay. It would be that much fewer to evacuate. "Sir…" Gawain worriedly began.

"Take your brothers and go, Gawain!" Pellinore cut off. "Same goes for anyone else who can leave but is inclined to refuse to. As to the rest of us…"

"Throw Arthur to the dogs? Sounds like our best course of action about now," a student bit. "It's him they want, not us. We're safe if he goes." Arthur winced, glancing over to see who it was. A member of IAK House, Sagremore le Impetuous he was called. Sagremore le Desirous to himself.

"We aren't sacrificing Arthur," Pellinore replied, glaring sharply at Sagremore.

"Sir…" Arthur began.

"Quiet," Ector warned, glaring warningly at Arthur.

"I'm not _that_ self-sacrificing," Arthur replied, frowning. Unless it turned out that he needed to be, in which case yeah, he'd bite the big one. "I wasn't going to say do it." He turned to Pellinore again. "I can fix this, King Pellinore." He turned to the assembly. "Look, we can't just sit here and hide or try and run into the mountains! That's not the Worcestershire way. I mean come on, where there's a will there's a way, right? All we need to do is trick them or weaken them to the point they'll think they can't hold up and we'll _have_ our victory! If we all work together to come up with something, we can send the kings running and we'll prove Worcestershire's not to be messed with. We can do this! Now who's with me?!" Arthur said inspiringly. There was silence and his confidence immediately vanished.

"Throw him out," Sagremore coughed into his arm. From the expressions on the faces of the students, they were pretty tempted to do just that.

"Oh, come on! Doesn't anyone want to be a hero? That's what we come here for, isn't it? To learn to fight. To learn to protect ourselves and what we care about. To stand up for what we believe in and to be heroes! Are you really telling me none of you expected you'd ever _have_ to be? I mean, that's how songs are written, right?" Arthur said, trying again to motivate them. Please? At least, that's what he _wanted_ to add, but he refrained. He was met with silence again. Well, _this_ boded well for his kingship he depressively thought.

Just then the doors banged open and two laughing young men came in, arms slung around each other. Arthur blinked blankly and grimaced. Oh no. Balan and Balin, probably just coming down off a high or fresh onto one. "What's goin' on peeps? Whassup?" Balin said, pointing fingers at the students in the bleachers, most of which looked disgusted, some of whom looked annoyed, and others who looked amused and relieved for the break in tension.

"Are you two high? Again? At a time like this?" King Pellinore heatedly demanded of them.

"No! Wait… Yeah bro," Balan replied, smiling. Well, they were technically coming down, but hey, whatevs.

"I'm not your bro," Pellinore darkly growled, annoyed. "I can't believe this. We're on the verge of being swarmed by an army and you're hotboxing with Frankincense and Myrrh! Sit you little as… butts down, right now! And don't move or speak!"

"Swarmed by an army?" Balan asked.

"War bro, war," Balin said.

"Ohhh. Sweet," Balan said. "Like the perfumes." He caught sight of Arthur and grinned. "Artie, bro! Why you taking the stage, man? You don't usually step up."

"He tried to pep-talk your peers and failed," Sir Morholt, not one for mincing words, said simply.

"Pep talk?" Balan said.

"Don't you want to be heroes? And oh, that's how songs are made. And oh we're trained to fight for what we believe in. And oh Worcestershire doesn't hide, if we work together yadda, yadda. It was pathetic, really. And cheesy," Gaheris said.

"Oh, you want to take on the kings," Balin said.

"Cool," the two said together.

"We'll go with you, Artie! Little adventure never hurt anyone," Balan said. "About time we blow this place and check out the great outdoors again."

"W-wait, what?" Arthur asked. "Are you… volunteering to help me drive them away?"

"Yeah man! It'll be far out," Balin stated. "Come on, just tell us what to do."

"Boys, you could get killed!" Sir Bors the Elder immediately said.

"Hey, obvious none of the 'do-somethings' are going to help, so guess that falls to the 'do-nothings', am I right?" Balan said, slinging an arm around Arthur. Artie grimaced but allowed it, though he really wished Shrek and the guys were in the auditorium too. They were probably in the guest houses discussing what to do. "About time we got off our butts anyway."

"And bathed off the sickly-sweet smell," Arthur bit. He wasn't honestly sure either Balin or Balan had what it took to pull this off, but he was kind of strapped for options here. He sighed. "Fine," he relented. "If you want to help, help. Just don't get in my way. And for the love of Pete, just do what I say."

"Artie's taking the hotboxing twins to face off an army of over two-thousand?" Lancelot said. Immediately the auditorium burst into laughter.

"Suicide mission Arthur!" some were calling.

"They'll smoke them out," others snickered.

"Nah, they'll show them the way of the goodfeels, man!" others were saying. The teachers were face-palming as if determining to themselves that they were all doomed.

"I'll show you all! I'll either drive them off or weaken them with Balin and Balan and then we'll see who's laughing!" Arthur said vehemently. "Come on guys!" he ordered, turning and storming angrily out, shoulders hunched as the auditorium continued killing themselves laughing and as the teachers watched concernedly after the three. They didn't think the trio would be dumb enough to actually try it, so they weren't overly worried, but there was still the what-if scenario… And that what-if scenario wasn't sitting well with any of them.

KAK

"Alright, adventure!" Balin said. "So, what's the plan?" he continued, rubbing his hands together. He yelped, tripping on nothing and falling flat on his face.

"Balin the Ill-Fated," Balan affectionately remarked, smirking at his face-planted brother and pulling the dazed boy to his feet. "Might actually give _you_ a run for your money at times, Arthur. But yeah, seriously. What's the plan?"

"I… haven't figured it out yet," Arthur replied, grimacing. "I don't even know if they're still coming or if they've fallen back for the moment."

"So you have no plan?" Balan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um… no," Arthur replied.

"Oh… Cool," Balan replied, smirking. "No plan is best plan."

"Go home, you're drunk," Arthur bit.

"No seriously! Improvising can to wonders!" Balin said, backing his brother.

"It can also doom you. It almost doomed me a few hours ago when I tried to talk to the rebel kings," Arthur said.

"You tried to talk it out with a group of warrior kings? You sure _you_ haven't hit the Frankincense and Myrrh?" Balan asked.

"I didn't want death, okay?!" Arthur said.

"So you nearly led yourself and some friends right to it? And are proceeding to do the same now?" Balin said. "Your brilliance is astounding."

"Go fu… kick yourself," Arthur said.

"The hostility is strong with this one," Balan said, grinning.

"Look, can you two come off your high long enough to have an intelligent conversation already?" Arthur demanded.

"It don't work like that, man. You gotta ride the wave out," Balin answered.

"Why me?" Arthur said with a groan, looking up at the sky. "Fine. Fine. You two come down off your high, and when you're sober we'll talk." With luck, by then he'd have a plan. He plopped down in the courtyard, leaning against the now vacant stone and anvil, and began to think. Balin and Balan flopped down next to him and lay on the ground smiling up at the sky and once in a while saying ridiculous nonsense to one another while Arthur tried to focus. He could only imagine how odd of a trio they were to see, him cross-legged and thinking while they were sprawled around him.

KAK

An hour or so later, they were down off their high and laying in the grass with Arthur, who was outlining various strategies. "You're really staying? Now that you're thinking straight and see plainly this is suicide, you're staying?" Arthur asked them.

"We committed to this so we'll see it through," Balin answered, shrugging. "Simple as that, bro."

"I'm not your bro," Arthur flatly said. "Seriously guys, you don't have to stick with me in this."

"We're with you, bro. We aren't here because of honor, we can do without that. We're here because we want to be," Balan said.

"I'm not your bro, 'bro'!" Arthur said again, getting annoyed.

"Easy bro," they both said.

"Oh, for the love of… Fine. Fine. Okay. Let's go over this. Option one: Beg. Pros and cons?" Arthur said.

"I call dibs on cons!" Balin said.

"You're an expert in those," Balan replied.

"Hey!" Balin protested.

"Savage. Nice," Arthur praised, grinning and fist-bumping a smug looking Balan.

"Screw you," Balin said with a huff. "Cons: You're weak. You're a coward. They see you're a pushover. You end up submitting. You may be taken captive and die in said captivity. Your people might turn on you and ostracize you for tossing them under the bus like that. You end up going down in history as a disappointment. But hey, you're already headed there anyway."

"Pros are my job, bro," Balan said, smirking.

"Savage," Balin said, snickering.

Arthur, ticked and offended at the remark, scowled. "Pros," he said through gritted teeth, willing himself to be patient.

"Pros: No bloodshed. No lost lives. No injuries. Peaceful resolution. It's Lot of Orkney who'll probably take over so there's a chance the people won't ostracize you _after_ all, given the guy's not so bad when you get down to it. You'll be treated pretty okay for a prisoner, in theory."

"Only those who earn Lot's respect get treated with it. Arthur'll lose it big time," Balin pointed out.

"Point taken," Balan replied.

"In other words, Option one is a no go," Arthur said, scratching it out. "Alright. Option two: Approach under a flag of truce and try to work something out. Pros and cons?"

"Cons: They'll probably laugh at you. You've tried it already and it failed so you'll probably just walk yourself to death and us with you. You'll end up a captive to be put on display for the rest of your life at Lot's shows of power," Balin said.

"That's not bad, I guess. Except the lost life thing… And captive thing… And being put on… Okay, give me pros," Arthur replied.

"Pros: You'll be known as the guy who dared to try. Lot might be impressed at your determinedness to keep your people alive and show you leniency as his prisoner. There's an off chance he'll submit to you if he likes your peaceful ways. You'll have risen above and tried for peace instead of war," Balan said.

"No chance he'll submit. Psycho wife has him on a leash. Probably won't give up that chance at the throne. Could get ugly," Balin pointed out.

"Or Lot might man up instead," Balan said.

"What do you really think the odds of him growing a pair in regards to Queen Anna are?" Balin questioned.

"Hmm…" Balan mused. "Pretty low."

"So, a potential," Arthur said, putting a star next to the plan.

"Gutsy," Balin said. Artie was willing to risk captivity and humiliation if it meant peace. He was kind of impressed.

Arthur frowned at him. "Option three: Trickery. Try to make him believe we're more than what we are and scare him off. Pros and cons?"

"Cons: Good luck getting anyone else in the school to go with that. Failed before it started," Balin stated.

"Pros: If you manage it, victory will be guaranteed. Got to agree with Balin on this, though. No way you're gonna psych up the others enough to go with it," Balan stated.

"So not likely," Arthur said, scratching it out. "What about Option four? Option four: Head-on them. A good chunk of the knights are still willing to fight for us if Lot breeches the school. We might be able to hold our own. Pros and cons?"

"Cons: Death, blood, mayhem, chaos, PTSD, mourning, villainized in the eyes of your own people if you lose. They'll think you sacrificed them all knowing that it wouldn't work," Balin said.

"Pros: If you win, you're gonna be hailed a hero for a damn long time. You'll show the kings you're not to be jerked around. You'll set yourself up pretty firmly in future," Balan said.

"Can you live with your conscience after, though?" Balin asked. "And will you ever be able to sleep again? Once you kill there's no going back. Sure, innocence will eventually be lost anyway, but do you want it lost now? You're what? Fifteen? Sixteen?"

"Killed already when I went out there the first time," Arthur quietly murmured. "Or almost did. I'm not sure if... if anyone fell at my hand."

"Hey, as long as you're not sure, you can tell yourself you didn't," Balan said, a sympathetic tone slipping into his voice. "If you get into a war, there'll be no telling yourself that you didn't."

"Fighting won't be avoided, will it? How can I avoid war at all if it'll happen anyway?" Arthur said.

"No option five?" Balin asked.

"Fresh out of ideas," Arthur replied. "I mean, I guess I could intimidate Lot by threatening the lives of his sons, but that's just cold."

"No wait. Ooh, dude, bro, you nailed it! Think about it. You're in a prime position. His kids are behind enemy lines with _you_! And you can probably get Uriens to back down too, and Nentres. You have family of theirs behind your lines as well. Just like that you've disabled most of their army and crippled the ringmaster," Balin said.

"Cons: Lot resents me forever more. I'm not going to actually take his children captive, _or_ my sister, so when I release them, which I will, all I've ended up doing is making _them_ my enemies too! If they aren't already. Then whatever sway I have over Lot via them now, I won't have later. Another con? I make enemies with a band of brothers you don't want to make enemies with. And all their friends. And my magic wielding sister. And all _her_ friends," Arthur replied.

"Pros: If you can actually convince them to play along with you, you don't lose their backing at all and they can bring back glowing reports about how decently you treated them in their captivity. Lot ends up grateful, and Uriens and Nentres, and they back down. If not for good, then for a while at least. Long enough to give you some breathing room," Balan said.

"You have a point," Arthur said. "But the problem is convincing them to go with it. And that's considering they haven't left yet like Pellinore ordered them to."

"It's worth a try. Keep the option open, scratch out the rest, and let's come up with another option just as good as this one as a backup," Balan said.

"What if the kings call the bluff and lay an all-out war down on us?" Arthur said.

"We could always feel it out. See how he reacts. Send a letter and…" Balan began.

"He might not respond to a letter and just raze us if we try that," Balin cut off. "Send a messenger to…"

"He might just send back the messenger's head," Balan interrupted.

"Send a brave messenger," they said together.

"Someone who can get in and out without much fear… Maybe Merlin," Arthur said, thinking. He can come back with a report on the reaction of the kings. If it's fear, we can talk to whatever family they have in the school and get said family to help us play them. If it's rage, we were dead anyway. Death just might come a bit faster."

"We might be able to find a way to slow them down or head off their attack long enough to mount our own," Balin said. "The others may not have been pep-talked into helping you, but they'll sure as heck be talked into helping fight if they know the kings are out for heads and blood."

"Alright… alright, we're getting somewhere. We'll try it. Try it and hope for the best," Arthur said. "God they're going to hate me."

"You're already at the lowest bar of the school. You can't get much worse," Balan said.

"Point taken," Arthur replied with a grimace. Guess it was time to talk to Merlin again.

"Alright! All in," Balin said, holding out his hand. Balan grinned, covering it. Arthur looked incredulously at them. "Come on, man, don't leave us hangin'!" Balin protested.

Arthur looked at the hands, grimaced, then sighed. "Alright. All in," he relented, placing his hand into the mess. Balin grinned, putting in his other, Balan followed suite, and Arthur put in his, feeling a smirk starting to pull at his mouth a bit. Whoa. _That_ was a first.

"Let's do it!" they said together, breaking up the hand pile.

"But, uh, first I'm hungry," Balin said.

"Ditto," Balan echoed.

Arthur frowned at them. "Fine. We'll stop in the middle of trying to save the school, who's hourglass is almost empty and ticking down every second that passes, so you can deal with a case of the munchies, _then_ we can get to work," he sarcastically said.

"Thanks Artie!" they said together, heading off. Arthur gave an exasperated sigh and followed, shaking his head hopelessly. Well, he guessed beggars couldn't be choosers. In the meantime, he had to inform Shrek, Puss, Donkey, Cousin Fiona, and Aunt Lillian about this. See if they had any suggestions or input to offer. Breaking off from the other two, he headed towards the guest houses.

KAK

"This is madness, Arthur!" Lillian protested immediately, eyes wide.

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Fiona worriedly agreed.

"Actually, senor might be onto something," Puss said, working the plan out. "If this King Lot's sons agree to be bait, he loses nothing."

"Yeah, but if they don't agree what then?" Donkey argued.

"Someone will agree," Puss insisted. "Morgan it seems is willing to help you. And if not, there must be other family memebers of the kings who would help. Let us presume someone will agree. Then Arthur has gained victory without bloodshed."

"You sure about this, kid?" Shrek asked, frowning. He wasn't overly impressed with it, but he was leaning more towards Puss's side.

"There's no time for me not to be sure anymore, Shrek," Arthur replied.

"If things go badly you could be killed, Arthur!" Fiona protested. "How did you manage to fight your way through them the first time?"

Arthur winced. "Um... blind luck?" he replied. "I mean, I'm not totally incompetent with a sword. I took on a dragon!"

"You got lucky," Shrek deadpanned.

"Whose side are you on?" Arthur demanded.

"What is your combat grade, Arthur?" Lillian asked. Arthur tensed up, flushing. "Um... s-seventy-seven? But that's mainly because I don't apply myself to it! I never thought I'd need to!"

"Well now you need to, and seventy-seven ain't gonna get you through this alive, man," Donkey said.

"If I may, your majesty, it would be my honor to give you some pointers," Puss said, bowing.

"R-really? You'd help teach me some fancy sword moves?" Arthur asked hopefully.

"Si," Puss answered. "Now, how much time do we have?"

"I can take an hour or two before setting the plan in motion," Arthur replied.

"Very well. Then we will train most rigorously ever minute of those hours!" Puss declared. "To the field!" Immediately he marched off. Arthur followed him hopefully.

"Puss is rapier trained. And a cat. Can he adjust his techniques to Arthur's style?" Fiona worriedly asked.

"Not as well as I think he believes he can. A cat and human react and move very differently, and rapier and sword-shield are two very distinct styles, but at least some of his suggestions might be able to transfer over to Arthur. He'll be more prepared than he otherwise would have been, if nothing else," Lillian replied, shaking her head worriedly. "I hope he'll be alright."

KAK

"Now senor, show me your moves," Puss said, drawing his rapier. Arthur looked down at him doubtfully then pulled out his sword and shield. He saw immediately that this wasn't going to be as helpful as he'd hoped it would be. They were standing in totally different stances and he knew for a fact he was doing his stance correctly, and Puss was obviously doing _his_ right, so yeah. "Hmm... This could be a problem," Puss said, frowning. "Never mind! There are techniques that are universal."

"Yeah, I know," Arthur replied. But would Puss get them right, was the question, or would he confuse universal for universal across fencing styles?

"This is not a problem. I will adapt. Now, attack me," Puss ordered. Arthur attacked immediately, stabbing at Puss who neatly side-stepped. Arthur spun around, swinging in a circle. Puss leapt neatly over it. Arthur winced. He couldn't do that. Puss lunged. Arthur put up his shield, blocking it. A shockwave vibrated right down the rapier and through Puss. Once he stopped feeling like he was vibrating, Puss looked at his sword, concerned it had broken. No damage. "Alright senor, put aside the shield. We are going sword to sword." Arthur did so. Puss lunged again. Arthur clumsily parried. "You must be more sure of your parry, your highness. You know the motion but hesitate. Perhaps a lack of confidence. Observe the way your opponent's blade moves, judge the power behind the strike. If the blade is quick, use the speed against them. If the blade is powerful, try and turn the power behind the blow to your advantage. Now, when an opponent strikes with a larger and slower weapon, you do not block unless you are certain your shield can withstand the force. Instead dodge them. If they slice down, move to the side and force the blade to the ground before spinning swiftly and cutting them down. If it swings as if to cut you in half, duck under and let their momentum throw them off. Attack immediately. You will recover faster. Of course I cannot demonstrate such a thing to you, I am only a cat and could not lift a claymore if one of my nine lives depended on it, but I can show you how to fend against speed."

"Great. Okay. Let's do that," Arthur said.

"With speed you must use the energy and swiftness against them. Often there will be quick thrusts and parries and stabs. Often times your shield or armor will be all you need to block those blows. Let them wear themselves down in their zeal and strike when they are losing energy," Puss said. Immediately he went at Arthur again. Arthur yelped, grabbing his shield and putting it up, blocking Puss's attacks as best he could and waiting for the cat to tire out or take a longer pause than usual. When he did, Arthur bashed with the shield. Puss meowed in pain.

"Puss?!" Arthur asked in alarm, looking up.

"I am fine, senor. Good bash," Puss said from the ground, wincing and standing. "You are exceptional at defense. It is offense you should work more on."

"So how do I, uh, offend a quicker opponent?" Arthur asked. That didn't sound like the right way to say that. Inwardly he winced, hoping Puss didn't poke fun at it. Judging by the smirk on the cat's face he wanted to jump on that slip, but he restrained himself.

"You do not. If you are slower, you do not go on the offense. You play defense until you find an opening, and when you find an opening you strike with all the power you have. If however you are quicker or on par, then you may meet them in glorious tete-a-tete!" Puss said.

"Isn't that French?" Arthur asked.

"Si," Puss replied.

"You're Spanish," Arthur said.

"And that means I cannot speak French?" Puss challenged, glaring at him.

Arthur winced, biting his tongue. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Now, you seem to be one whose speed is not so fast but not so slow, and whose strength is not so strong but not so weak," Puss said.

"So average," Arthur said, a bit disheartened.

"No. Balanced. And that, senor, is perhaps actually the best place to be," Puss said. "It means you will be able to adapt. Your weaknesses to either type of opponent are not extreme. You are highly adaptable. You can face most any rival's style and still have a fighting chance. And you are clever, senor, very clever. That bodes well in battle. Do not think that because you are a balanced fighter, it means you are average. You are in the very _best_ position if you can learn to use your skillset in such a way. I am afraid I cannot teach you as much as I would like, but eh, I suppose that is why you are at school, no?"

Arthur was quiet, looking at his sword and shield thoughtfully. Soon he looked back at Puss with a smile. "Thanks Puss," he said.

"It is my honor," Puss said, sweeping off his hat and bowing. "Now we will run through some moves, I will tell you if they need work or if you are only hesitating because of lack of confidence, an then you go, your majesty, and save this place." Arthur nodded and prepared to run through the moves Puss would direct him to.

KAK

"Uh huh, uh huh. Clever," Merlin mused two hours later, when Arthur came to him with the twins.

"We haven't even said anything yet," Balin confusedly said.

"Doesn't matter! You didn't need to," Merlin replied. "I foresaw it," he added, dangling his fingers 'mystically'. "You want me to go to the kings, remind them their loved ones are behind enemy lines, judge their reactions, then bring the diagnosis back to you, right?"

"Wow," Balan said, eyes wide. "You nailed it."

"Why do you have to be weird, Mr. Merlin?" Arthur asked, narrowing his eyes dubiously.

"I'll be back in two shakes of a tailfeather!" Merlin said. Immediately he made himself vanish.

"Should we get to work on the sons of Lot?" Balan asked.

"I dread it, so no. We'll wait to see how it goes on Merlin's end first," Arthur replied.

"But we should scope out where they all are so we can get to them quick," Balin said.

"Uh, sure. I can live with that. Let's go," Arthur agreed. There was no reason not to find them, after all.

KAK

Merlin appeared outside the kings' camp. They were readying their armies, he saw. Likely they'd move by tomorrow morning. Unless he could scare them out of it. Well, they'd soon see. He approached them whistling a merry tune. They all turned to him incredulously and frowned, folding their arms. "For the love of… What now?" Nentres demanded of Merlin.

"Nothing! Just out for a stroll. And to ask if, you know, you've really thought about what you're about to do," Merlin replied.

"We have," Nentres answered.

"Really, really thought?" Merlin asked.

"Yes," Uriens replied.

"Really, really, really, _really_ thought?" Merlin asked.

"Yes!" Lot, Uriens, and Nentres all insisted together while the other three kings watched on curiously

"Okay, so no point in telling you what you don't already know, then," Merlin said, turning to head off.

"Wait!" Lot called. Merlin stopped, smirking. "What haven't we thought of?"

"Well, nothing if you've really thought about it," Merlin replied, turning. "Got to say, you people have some stone-cold hearts for sure. That or you're really, really confident in yourselves."

"What do you mean?" the young King with the Hundred Knights questioned guardedly.

"Oh it's nothing that'll concern any of you except Nentres, Lot, and Uriens, really," Merlin assured.

"What will concern us?" Nentres darkly asked, bristling slightly.

"Well I mean surely it's occurred to you that your families are behind enemy lines," Merlin said.

"So?" Uriens asked.

"So? What do you mean so? I mean, _you_ should all know what happens to the families of warriors and rulers when they're trapped behind enemy lines," Merlin said. "You know, the whole capture, taunt, slice thing?" Nentres stiffened up, eyes widening, and Uriens had paled. Lot looked stunned.

"What are you saying?" one of the other three kings, the King of Scotland, soon asked.

"You really didn't suspect that the first thing Arthur would do, when he saw there was no way out peacefully, would be to take the families of his enemies captive to use as leverage or punishment?" Merlin asked.

"What are you saying?!" Lot furiously repeated. "Are you saying the boy king has taken our sons and Uriens' wife captive?!"

"Yep. They're dead as doornails if you push him the wrong way," Merlin replied. "I mean, if I were him I'd be _itching_ to cut off a head. They tormented him all through high school. Not like it would be a problem for him. But hey, maybe I'm wrong and Arthur _isn't_ thinking execution or leverage."

"My sons are only little children! They've done nothing to him! He doesn't even know they exist!" Uriens immediately and frantically said. "He can't do this!"

"And my boy too! Galeschin has never done a thing against Arthur or _anybody_!" Nentres fearfully stated. "Merlin, please!"

"I sympathize with you kids, I really do, but you dug your own graves. Well, theirs," he said. Uriens's heart all but stopped, and Nentres nearly fainted. "Sorry, but I'm not involving myself in this. You're the suckers who chose to go to war with him. I warned you that you'd lose," Merlin continued. He kept watching Lot for a reaction, though. If there wasn't fear there, they had a problem. Lot was good at rallying, if nothing else. Even rallying hopeless causes at times. Lot still looked like he was in shock. "Nothing to say, big guy?" Merlin asked.

The ex-Captain of the Duloc guard remained silent and stunned, eyes fixed towards the distant outline of Worcestershire. And while there was fear in his eyes, there was also something else Merlin _didn't_ like. "I… He…" Lot began. Suddenly he seemed to start to recover himself. Not in a good way for Arthur either. His eyes darkened, flashing. He gritted his teeth, fists clenching together. "Damn him," he darkly hissed. "Damn him to hell! Get your troops together, now! We march as soon as we're ready!"

"Not a good plan!" Merlin said. "You've gotta know it'll be one of yours he kills when he sees you coming."

"You said yourself, Merlin. You don't know if he _will_ ," Lot answered.

"You want to risk the lives of your sons like that?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, I won't be. Because Arthur won't do it. I know he won't. He isn't the type," Lot said.

"You're really going to bet the lives of your children on it?" Merlin pressed. "Think carefully." He was satisfied when Lot began to hesitate again. "Think about it long and hard. Just saying." With that he turned and headed back to Worcestershire, disappearing into thin air after a few steps.

KAK

The six kings gathered. "Lot, I can't risk this. I won't risk the lives of my sons!" Uriens insisted. "I won't do it, no!"

"I agree. Galeschin is the only child Elaine was able to bear and he was a miracle pregnancy as it was. I won't lose him! Not for this!" Nentres said.

"I won't keep you here," Lot said.

"Lot, please, we…" Nentres began. He stopped. "What?" he asked.

"I won't ask you to stay," Lot repeated, staring at Worcestershire. "If you deem the risk too great, I understand well. Stay or leave, that call is yours… But I'm going to call his bluff."

"And if it costs you more than you were willing to pay?" Caradoc questioned.

Lot was silent. "It won't," he finally answered. "Because I'd give _myself_ to him before I let him take one of them."

"But that won't _be_ your call to make in the end," the King with the Hundred Knights warned, shifting uneasily now.

"I'll make him a deal he can't refuse. Don't ask me what. I haven't thought of it yet," Lot said. And probably wouldn't until he saw for sure Arthur intended to go through with an execution of one of his children. At which point all stops would come out. Part of the deal he made would for certain be himself in exchange for them. Perhaps the best way to approach this would be with caution. Don't make to attack, just make to feel things out and see if Arthur would really be so cold.

KAK

Arthur, Balin, and Balan waited for Merlin's return. Soon he appeared and they immediately stood. "So, what's the report?" Arthur asked.

"Nentres and Uriens are terrified. Odds are they won't follow Lot. The others still will, but a huge force is lost with Uriens and Nentres backing off," Merlin said.

"Lot's still coming? Even with the threat?" Arthur asked.

"He's calling your bluff. And if you don't follow through with an execution of one of his boys, he'll see the truth and set on you even worse than before with Nentres and Uriens backing him up anew. It'll get ugly," Merlin said.

"I can't follow through! I won't! Is it possible I can lie long enough to convince him I'm serious?" Arthur asked.

"If he offers his life for them, then you'll know you've convinced him. Make a show of thinking it over. If he calls the bluff again, though, you're done for," Merlin said.

"Would the guy actually challenge Arthur to do it? To go through with the killing of one of his sons?" Balin asked.

"Beats me," Merlin replied. "Depends on how well you play the game. You need to make sure, though, that Uriens and Nentres stay out of the fight, even if your bluff is called. The minute they regroup at that point, it's all over."

"Balin and I will figure something out for that bit of it," Balan said, a plot already brewing. "In the meantime, seems we only have to deal with Lot's sons now. The others don't need to know their daddies think they're being used as bait."

"Probably better they don't anyway. They're too small to fully get it. They might end up blowing it. Which means we should probably leave Mordred out of this plan too," Arthur said. Again, the age factor. Mordred was scary mature for his age, but at the end of the day he was still basically fresh out of the toddler stage.

"Alright. Then let's get rounding up the big boys," Balan said, grinning eagerly. The three hurried off, Merlin watching after them. This was the longest either Balin or Balan had gone without slipping away to get high or planning the next time they'd get high, he noted to himself. He smirked mysteriously and knowingly. He thought it might be.

KAK

They'd cornered the four oldest sons of Lot in a room, leaving them tense and glaring. Given how guarded they seemed, it was apparent they'd considered the possibility of Arthur _genuinely_ taking them captive. "We have a plan, but it's not going to work without you," Arthur said.

"A plan?" Gawain, who seemed the most calm and at ease but also the most guarded, asked.

"That might save the school," Arthur confirmed.

"Up to playing captives for a while?" Balin asked. "Just for show, not for real. Just enough that it spooks your father into backing off when it comes down to it."

"If he calls the bluff will you suddenly make it not a bluff?" Gaheris question cautiously.

"No," Arthur admitted.

"So it'll fail," Gaheris said.

"It might," Arthur confirmed.

"Why do you think we want to help you?" Agravaine questioned, starting to pace. "We're rooting for our father. What's to keep us from spilling our guts about your plot? As far as _I'm_ concerned, go dad. You're crap out of luck."

"Your dad is threatening to raze a school to the ground to get to one person. There'll be collateral damage. That collateral damage will end up being children who'll never get to grow up. He wants to go to war, and he's gonna end up killing more than a few innocents. For the sake of winning the head of some kid who isn't even guaranteed to be a _threat_ to him," Arthur flatly said.

"In other words, your dad's nuts," Balin said. Lot's four eldest glared at him viciously. He stiffened, shutting up.

"Some of the ones who die might even be friends of yours. Possibly relatives if they aren't careful," Balan reasoned. "You can't fight a war without casualties."

"Then walk out to him, Arthur, and spare us all loss," Agravaine bit, turning sharply to Arthur.

"No," Arthur answered. To be honest, if it got really, really bad he might do that, but not unless there was like no other option. "Help us. Please. So there won't be any more death than necessary." There would probably still be death, but at least there'd be far less than there otherwise would be.

"If you can count on none of my brothers, you have _my_ cooperation at least," Gawain soon said.

"Fine. I'll go with it. See how much dad really loves his kids," Gareth relented.

"More than life itself. That's what has me skeptical," Gaheris said. "Can you guarantee no harm will come to our father at your hand? Can you promise that if he offers himself to you and you take the deal, that you won't end him?"

"Yes," Arthur answered. "I don't want your father dead, I don't. I just want him to go and leave me alone. Even if only for a little while."

Gaheris's jaw twitched. "Fine," he finally said with a sigh. "But if you go back on your word, you'll pay for it."

"Unbelievable," Agravaine said, scoffing and rolling his eyes.

"There's money," Balin sang out.

Agravaine raised an eyebrow. "Fine," he finally agreed. "Sold to the highest bidder."

"You get the money after you've gone through with it," Balin said.

"Yeah, I don't think so," Agravaine replied.

"There's no one you can trust more than us to give you what you're owed, Agravaine," Balan said. "We keep our end of the bargain all the time. You not so much."

Agravaine shifted. "Fine," he finally relented. "Fine. Let's see how this goes, then."

"You can't tell Mordred about this," Arthur said.

"That wasn't part of the deal," Gareth argued.

"Mordred's practically a baby. He won't get the severity of it. He could blow this whole plot for us if it gets tense," Arthur argued.

"Leave Mordred out of it. Understood," Gawain said. "Right?" he emphasized to his siblings. They winced and backed down, muttering begrudging agreements.

"Now all we can do is hope for the best, I guess," Arthur said.

"Arthur, a word of warning. While playing Lot, be sure he's not playing you just as well," Gawain warned.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"Our father is no fool. If he does offer himself to you for us, be very skeptical it's a victory. It may just be a way for him to get close to you so he can end your life," Gawain said.

"Would he just use you guys like that?" Arthur asked.

"Our father loves us. He'd give anything for us. If he happens to see a way to benefit himself, or further his interests or the interests of his family along the way, that's just a happy bonus," Gawain replied.

"If your dad kills me, he'll only sign his own death warrant," Arthur said cautiously.

"Like we said, he'd give everything for us. He offers himself to you, he'll be doing it knowing full well he won't make it out alive," Gaheris replied. "Your job will be to make sure that whatever he plots, can't happen." Arthur shifted uneasily and nodded in understanding. Oh this might get tense. Really tense. He was really hoping for the best.


	13. Victory Over the Rebel Kings

Victory Over the Rebel Kings

(A/N: The fight in this, lack thereof rather, it pretty lame, and kind of glossed over, but future fight scenes will be a lot more intense and detailed than this one was. Though if anyone wants to write up a fight scene for this chapter that's more detailed, that I can maybe include, I won't object to the help. I'm not great at fight scenes.)

Again the wall was covered with spectators, as the armies of the advancing kings, minus Nentres and Uriens who had stayed behind, approached. "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to make them believe you're captives!" Arthur hissed to the four boys.

"Just throwing it out there but you know what _might_ be a good idea?" Gareth asked.

"What?" Arthur questioned.

"Tying us up you moron!" Gareth shot.

Arthur started and frowned. "Not a problem," he bit sharply back. He paused, hesitating to give the order, then sighed. "Tie up four oldest sons of Lot!" he ordered loudly, pointing at them.

"What?" Pellinore immediately demanded, turning and looking at the young king in shock.

"Arthur?" Ector asked, tensing up.

"I said tie them up! Just do it," Arthur replied. Oh, he hated coming across as villain, but what had to be done.

"Why you want to tie up my brothers?!" Mordred instantly demanded, eyes narrowing at Arthur. He looked ready to fight.

"How about we tie _you_ up and throw you over?!" Lancelot immediately demanded, appalled at the command. Gawain was his best friend and Arthur was going to what? Take them captive so he could get one over on Lot? That… would actually be a pretty good idea. Except captives died if demands weren't met, and Gawain was his best friend, so flip Arthur!

"Just do it! I have a plan," Arthur replied.

"What plan?! To kill them?!" another boy, Tristan Arthur recognized, demanded.

"One day you people say I'm incompetent, the next you think I'm scarily competent," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes. "Just trust me on this. It's for the best."

"I don't think so! We…" Lancelot began.

"We gave him the idea," Gawain said, immediately taking the pressure off Arthur. For which Arthur was more than a little glad given people were starting to press in looking hostile. "So do it, Lancelot. If you won't trust him, trust me."

"Should we strip off our shirts?" Agravaine asked with a smirk.

"You just want to show off your muscle tone," Gaheris said, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, to remove articles of clothing would in theory subconsciously give Lot the impression of vulnerability and being more helpless than you are," Lucan remarked.

"You know what would work better? Whip lashes," a boy about Kay's age, whose name was Dinadan, said.

"You kinky bastard," Tristan bit.

"Tempted?" Dinadan purred.

"Go fu…lip yourself," Tristan replied.

"The word is…" Dinadan began.

"Enough," Pellinore warned them.

"I'm not having them whipped," Arthur said.

" _Have_ me whipped," Gawain said. "But only if father plays the waiting game. Use it as a last resort."

"I am not ordering that!" Arthur replied.

"Then don't. As crown prince of Lothian and Orkney, _I_ order it," Gawain replied.

"Gawain…" Lancelot began.

"Something has to be done, Lance, and Arthur's plan is a good one," Gawain said.

"Actually, it was kind of a group effort," Arthur replied, gesturing to Balan and Balin.

" _They_ helped you come up with something workable? I'm having second thoughts," Gareth flatly said. Balin and Balan started and frowned.

"Yeah. They came up with the details in fact," Arthur replied, eyes narrowing at him. "This will work."

"Hold on a minute. Gawain, you're the _last_ one of us that should go under the whip!" Gaheris protested.

"I'm the first one that should," Gawain replied. "What part of 'Crown Prince' don't you get? I'm father's immediate heir. I'll be the most impactful one in context." He turned. "Now tie us up. Time's running short."

Balin approached Gawain but Lancelot snatched the ropes. "I'll do it," he growled.

"Don't be gentle," Dinadan sang.

"Why don't you throw yourself off the wall, you perverse freak?!" Lancelot shot.

"He's right. _Don't_ be gentle," Gawain warned Lancelot in a more serious tone. Lancelot paused, staring at him. Finally he sighed and relented, visibly upset.

KAK

The four were bound tightly. Mordred, obviously distressed, watched uneasily, as did four other little children standing with him that Arthur didn't recognize. Given they shared characteristics with Lot's sons, Arthur assumed they were probably relatives. Likely cousins. "Don't worry, kiddos. It's for the greater good," Agravaine reassured, giving them a wink and a smile. Mordred turned his gaze to Arthur, fixing him with an icy glare, eyes narrowed into slits.

Arthur cringed and turned away to face the approaching kings. "Get them out to the forefront," he said. Quickly the four boys were brought to the wall. "Can someone else do the threatening, please?" Arthur pled. Sir Morholt glared towards Lot then moved to stand at Arthur's side, sword slipping out of its sheath disturbingly easily. "Uh… thanks sir?" Arthur said, looking curiously at the teacher. Morholt was one of those guys who stayed out of the way and kept to themselves, so when he stepped up, it was generally a cause for concern.

"Everyone, move back," Pellinore ordered the students. They wanted Lot's sons to be front and center. Uneasily the students did so. Morholt stood behind Gawain then gestured three more teachers to come stand behind the boys, Sirs Villiers, Gromere, and Galleron. They did so, drawing their swords in tandem.

Lot approached the walls and slowed, lips slowly parting on seeing his four eldest children and the men, swords up, standing behind them. Though he was banking on this being a bluff, it didn't stop his unease to see them in such a position. They came to a halt. There was tense silence. "So, you've determined you can't defeat me and thus choose to threaten me instead, boy king?" Lot finally called up at Arthur.

"I didn't want this, Lot," Arthur replied. "But you're the guy menacing a school full of children and innocents. My job is to protect my people, and sorry, but four lives verses all Worcestershire isn't even a cause for pausing to think. Leave. Me. Alone. Back down and I'll let them go. For crying out loud, don't make me do this, please!"

Lot was silent, watching his children. "Where is Mordred?" he demanded.

Mordred scampered over and climbed up onto the wall, looking down at his father. "Daddy, help us! Help! Don't let him hurt my brothers! Don't let him!" he cried out in distress. Lot shifted uneasily, jaw twitching.

Arthur looked at Mordred in surprise. "Uh, Mordred, you know this is just…" he began. Mordred gave him a dark and warning look and Arthur fell silent. Whoa. Kid was a good actor. "Right. Of course you do," Arthur said, grimacing.

"Where are Galeschin, Constantine, Yvain, and Ywain?" Lot pressed.

"Who?" Arthur asked.

"Them," Gaheris said, tossing his head towards the other children that had been with Mordred earlier, all of which were also looking uneasy.

"Oh," Arthur said. Ywain scoffed at him and quickly clambered up by Mordred. He helped Yvain up next, then Galeschin and Constantine as well. "What's with the attitude from Ywain?" Arthur asked, frowning. "Wait, don't tell me. He's related to you guys."

"Bite us," Gareth replied, sneering at him. "For your information, he's not. Galeschin is, he's Nentres and Elaine's kid. Constantine is too. He's mom's brother Cador's son. Yvain and Ywain aren't. They're Uriens' sons."

"Wait, what?" Arthur asked, stiffening and quickly looking at Gareth.

Gareth raised a curious eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"You said they're Uriens' sons!" Arthur said.

"Uh, yeah. So?" Gawain asked.

"At what point did you forget Uriens is my sister's husband?! You know, Morgan le Fay, the girl not all that older than me?!" Arthur demanded. They started, eyes widening as it quickly clicked. "Did he cheat on her or are they…?" He looked at them sharply. Yvain looked like Uriens, there was nothing of Morgan in him. Ywain, on the other hand… His lips parted in shock. Oh. Snap. "Morgan! Morgan!" he shouted, suddenly spinning and searching for her.

"Arthur, focus!" Morholt sharply snapped.

"Like hell! Morgan!" Arthur shouted.

Morholt scowled and turned to Lot. "You see the little boys are fine! They'll remain unharmed, fortunately for you! The oldest four, though… That's another story," he called down.

Arthur seemed to recall what he was doing and flushed deeply, looking sheepishly at the darkly glaring Morholt. He cleared his throat, turned to Yvain and Ywain again, then determined that as important as figuring this out was, fending off Lot was kind of the priority right now. "You have no use for them. Let them come out to me," Lot replied. "And Mogan le Fay with them."

"Heck no! They're not going _anywhere_ until I have answers!" Arthur replied. Lot gave him a curious look, wondering what he was talking about. "They're not your concern right now. Back down or somebody dies!" Arthur threatened, gesturing to Lot's four eldest. He was surprised himself at how vehemently those words had departed his mouth. In his defense, he was kind of suddenly really emotionally stressed right now. Was it possible that Morgan…? No. No way. Morgan would have told him if he'd had nephews, wouldn't she have? Ugh, he had to focus right now.

KAK

Lot scowled darkly and looked at his bound sons. "You won't do it," he finally challenged.

"Are you really going to test me, Lot?" Arthur questioned. Oh no. He was calling the bluff. Just what he _didn't_ need.

"I'm really going to test you," Lot darkly stated.

Arthur was quiet, shifting. "That will be your mistake!" Sir Villiers, a cousin of Lancelot's Arthur recalled, called down to Lot. He looked to Morholt, nodding. Morholt nodded back and pulled out a whip. Gawain winced, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes.

"Wh-whoa, hold-hold on. Can't we threaten him a bit more?" Arthur uneasily asked.

"We are," Villiers stated. Arthur looked at him curiously then down. Lot had gone pale and looked sick, eyes filling with worry and fear.

Morholt drew his fingers along the whip ponderously. "Tear open Gawain's shirt," he said to Sir Gromere.

The knight moved to do so. Lot caught his breath. "Wait!" he immediately called out.

"Too late for that, King Lot," Morholt said. "You had your chance." He looked at Gromere again. "Tear it," Morholt ordered again. The knight did so. You could all but see Lot have a mini heart attack.

"If I give myself over to you will you let them go?!" Lot desperately shouted.

"Hold," Arthur ordered. Good. There was the fear. But if Lot was playing him too… He might not be willing to call the bluff with his sons on the line, but he wouldn't hesitate to call it if he himself was. "Give me a moment to discuss it!" he called down. Lot didn't move, eyes fixed on his children.

KAK

Arthur turned to Balan and Balin. "I think we have a problem," he muttered to them.

"We're way ahead of you dude," Balin said. "A plan's already in the working. Delay them as long as you can. We'll fix it."

"How?" Arthur questioned.

"See, there's this whole stockpile of Frankincense and Myrrh somewhere on school grounds, and…" Balan began.

"You're gonna get high? Now? Well that's a _great_ plan. God, you two are the most useless wastes of space in this whole school," Gareth hissed sharply. They winced, falling back ashamedly.

Arthur scowled at Gareth then turned to them again. "Go on," he said.

They looked confused that he was still hearing them, then perked up a bit again. "We take the stockpile and bring it out to where the kings are camped. When the wind is just right, we burn it. It's overcast and the camp is in a valley. Smoke likes to collect in those, so it'll stay in place maybe long enough to do the job. Or Merlin can help keep it there. Frankincense and Myrrh makes you slow to the point you can hardly think straight you're so high. The armies that stayed behind will be useless to the kings," Balan said.

"If we burn it at the right time, then when the others go back to fetch them for war, _they'll_ get caught in the smoke too. It'll make them clumsy, slow, and as vulnerable as they'll get. Then suddenly the small force we have at our back is more than enough to drive them all out," Balin added, smirking.

"That's brilliant guys!" Arthur said, grinning. A little far-fetched, but hey, if it worked they were golden. Like they had said, Merlin could help with turning the valley into a massive hotbox if need be.

"Seems that when they're not high as kites, Balan and Balin are _quite_ potent and clever," Pellinore said, impressed. He obviously hadn't expected that from them. "If you think this'll work, boys, and you actually follow through, then come with me. I'll show you where we stockpile the confiscated plants. I hope you don't make me regret this."

"You have the key, Principal. What can we do?" Balin asked.

"I'd rather not find out," Pellinore answered. "Come on. Let's go." Quickly he led them off.

KAK

Arthur turned to Lot once more, feeling this out. "See, I don't think I can trust you," he soon answered. "Carry out the whipping."

"Arthur, please!" Lot desperately exclaimed, leaping from his horse and moving forward as Morholt raised the whip.

Arthur raised his hand to order a hesitation. "Send your armies back!" Arthur furiously shot. Lot was quiet. Arthur sighed, shoulders sagging, and started to lower his hand again.

"Do it and I swear to the gods you'll regret it for the rest of your miserable existence," Lot darkly and suddenly threatened. It was dark enough, in fact, to give Arthur pause. Lot smirked. "You may be fortified here, but how's Far Far Away doing in your absence?" Arthur stiffened, paling slightly. _That_ hadn't been factored in. "You said four lives for many wasn't even something you had to think about. Will you stand by your word now, 'king'?" Arthur was silent. "Give. Me. My sons," Lot darkly ordered.

Arthur shifted. Balan and Balin had a plan. They would drug the enemy knights. The armies of the Kings wouldn't be able to ride for Far Far Away. It would be too late. There was some way out of this, there was! He just had to get up the courage to do it. "I'm not giving you back your sons," he finally answered. "And if you turn away from here, Lot, without meeting my demands, it'll be the last time you ever see them."

Lot's satisfied smile fell. He'd thought he'd caught him. Apparently, he hadn't expected this. Now it seemed he _really_ didn't know what to make of Arthur. Arthur inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He still had the upper hand. For a long, long time there was quiet. "Take me instead," Lot finally pled once more, much of the bravado in his voice gone.

Arthur shook his head. "No," he answered, and he had no clue where the heck he was finding the boldness to say these words. "I'm done compromising. Lose the battle or lose your sons. Your choice. One by one, starting with Gawain." He wouldn't give Lot a chance to call the bluff. As long as it was Lot's children on the line and not Lot himself, he wouldn't call it. So Arthur wasn't playing the King of Lothian and Orkney's bargaining game. Not anymore.

Lot was silent, looking torn and uneasy. Finally his shoulders sagged, and Arthur dared hope he was going to back down, but just then… "Do it!" a woman's voice called out. Everyone started and Lot spun in shock, scanning his knights. One riding close behind him took off their helmet and mouths dropped as black hair tumbled in waves out from under it.

"Morgause!" Lot exclaimed.

"Mom?!" Agravaine said in shock.

"That's you _mom_?!" one of Pellinore's sons, Lamorak, demanded, suddenly much more intrigued and all but jumping off the wall, eyes transfixed on her.

"Dude!" Gareth, appalled, said. Arthur was left stunned and gaping, suddenly pale. Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Oh sh…oot!

KAK

The Queen of Orkney rode towards her husband proudly, shedding the pieces of armor in disgust as if she couldn't fathom why on earth anyone would choose to wear something so ridiculous. "Let you men have your suits of armor. They're a hindrance more than a help," she bit at Lot, dropping the pieces at his feet. He stared at her in awe, stunned that she had come. The Queen looked up again at the wall and smiled a dark little smile. "King Arthur… It's been a long time. I haven't seen you since you were twelve, wasn't it? Who knew you would ever actually amount to anything? You're bold. Bolder than I suspected you were." Arthur was silent, lips tightly pursed and hands balled into fists as he tried to hide the fact he was shivering. That he was scared. She looked to her sons on the wall. "Do it," she said again.

"Anna, I won't risk the lives of our sons!" Lot protested immediately.

"Then you're playing right into his hands," Morgause answered.

"So be it! Their lives aren't a gamble I'll make!" Lot replied.

"You were never much of a gambler," Anna bit. She looked at Arthur again. "Do it! Order his death!"

Arthur shuddered, looking away from her like he didn't want to even see her. He swallowed, turning back and straightened up. "I'm leaning more towards the whipping," he answered. "Torture is so much worse, don't you think?"

"You expect me to believe any of the teachers in this place would strike him hard enough for it to pass as any sort of decent torture? No, no. Death. Order his death, Arthur. Go on," Morgause challenged.

"Good to know we mean so much to you, mom!" Gaheris savagely snapped at her, eyes narrowed.

"My darlings, I would never put your lives at risk. And I'm not doing so now," Anna answered. "I'm waiting, Arthur." Arthur was quiet. Finally, his shoulders sagged in defeat and he bowed his head low. Anna smirked. "I didn't think so." Arthur was quiet. "Keep them well, boy king. Our armies will return forthwith to finish what they started. It would be easier if you just gave yourself up, you know." She turned her horse and rode back through the stunned army. Lot watched after her then mounted his own. He didn't even bother to speak to Arthur, just followed her away, beckoning his army to follow and the other kings.

"You really think Balan and Balin will come through?" Kay asked, approaching Arthur.

"I do… They have to," Arthur replied, watching the receding armies. He sighed as Lot's sons were untied. "Sorry," he said to them. "Guess _that_ was all for nothing."

"Not if the hotboxing twins pull this off," Gaheris replied. He glared after his parents then scoffed in disgust. "Classy, mom." Angrily he stormed off. Gawain stayed glaring coldly after them. Agravaine and Gareth moved away from the wall, taking Mordred, Constantine, and Galeschin with them.

Arthur looked to Ywain and Yvain once more, who were watching him just as warily, and shifted uneasily. "Where's your mommy? I need answers," he said to them.

"So do we," the one named Yvain stated.

Arthur nodded. "Then let's go find her," he replied. Hesitant at first to follow, soon the two boys got off the wall and did so.

KAK

Morgan stared at Ywain and Yvain, pale and shocked. "Do you care to explain this? Sons of Uriens?!" Arthur demanded, gesturing to them both. "Morgan, are they…?"

"No," she said. "Well, he's not," she added, pointing disdainfully at Yvain, who seemed to shrink into himself at the disgust in her tone. Ywain frowned at her, defiantly hugging his brother close to himself. "He's the product of my cheating husband."

"How long have you been with Uriens?" Arthur asked.

"Five or six years," Morgan said.

"And they're four or five thereabouts," Arthur said, pointing at the duo.

"Yes," Morgan replied cautiously.

"Really? Because I recall you sleeping around with Accolon four or five years ago!" Arthur shot. "Were you cheating on Uriens first?!"

"So what if I was?!" Morgan replied. "Ywain is Uriens's son and mine, Yvain is his half brother by Uriens, so yeah, Arthur, I'm a mother."

"Why didn't you tell me this?!" Arthur demanded.

"There's a lot I haven't told you," she replied, not meeting his eyes.

"Great. Secrets. Because I love those!" Arthur said.

"Don't take that attitude with me," she said, sneering at him. "I didn't tell you about Ywain because…" she trailed off. "I just didn't, okay?!"

"Why don't you see me at school anymore, mommy?" Ywain sadly asked, looking down.

"Oh, and here I thought there was someone in my family _not_ prone to abandoning their child," Arthur said. He yelped as Morgan struck him. Stunned, he looked at her with eyes wide.

She glared, eyes flaming, then turned to Ywain and picked him up, pointedly ignoring Yvain who bowed his head lower. "I'm here now," Morgan gently said to Ywain. "You're right. I haven't been around as much as I should be. I'm sorry, sweetie. Daddy and I aren't getting along. I just wanted to get away from it all for a while." She turned to Arthur. "That's why I didn't tell your uncle," she added.

Ywain looked at Arthur curiously again. "My Uncle…" he repeated in wonder.

"Hush child. Come on. Let's do something together," Morgan said.

Ywain perked up slightly. "Can Yvain come?" he asked.

"I want it to be just mommy and you," Morgan said.

"But Yvain is your step-baby at least!" Ywain protested, distressed.

"Don't worry. Uncle Arthur will take care of Yvain," Morgan said.

"Wait, I'll what?!" Arthur demanded. "You can't just leave him like this! Sure he's not yours Morgan, but come on! I mean, he's just a kid. And your kid's brother too! Isn't just leaving him a bit harsh?"

Morgan glared coldly at Arthur, then looked to Yvain. "No. It isn't," she finally replied.

Arthur's mouth dropped. "Wow," he finally said. "Wow… I can't believe this. You're really not what I thought you were."

"Yes I am, but everyone has a fault. This is mine. Sorry it hits so close to home for you, brother dear, but that's your issue, not mine," she replied, leaving with a protesting Ywain.

Arthur looked down at Yvain, who was near tears, and winced. Shifting uneasily, he soon knelt. "Uh, hey Yvain. So… what's new?" he asked awkwardly.

"Why do you care? You're not my uncle like you are his. You don't owe me anything," Yvain replied, turning and walking away.

Arthur watched after him, stunned, and felt his heart twist uncomfortably as for a moment he saw himself in Yvain. No kid should feel like that... He frowned and stood to go after him. "Hey, hold up kid. It isn't always blood that makes a family, you know. You're the son of my sister's husband, even if you're not hers. As far as I'm concerned, that makes me your uncle anyway," he said.

"You don't even like daddy, though. He's fighting you," Yvain said, looking curiously at him.

"Maybe not, but that's fine because you're not your dad and you're not fighting me," Arthur replied. "Hey, want to get a little petty revenge on Morgan? We can stalk her and Ywain if you want. Maybe try and pull a prank. I know a guy who's really good at those. His name's Dagonet."

Yvain perked up a little. "Really? O-okay," he said, looking a little hopeful. Arthur smiled gently, glad to see a little brightness return to Yvain's face, and walked with him to find Dagonet.

KAK

Meanwhile, Balin and Balan had slipped out of the school after the armies had gone out of sight. Loaded up in a carriage they were driving was the very large stockpile. "What a waste," Balin ruefully said, looking back at it.

"Who cares? This is adventure, bro! Most excitement we've had in like… ever," Balan replied.

"Bro," Balin said, grinning.

"Bro," Balan replied, grinning back. Immediately they started towards their planned drop point.

They rode into the mouth of the valley and tested the wind. "Perfect. Here's hoping it doesn't change," Balan said. They unloaded the stockpile as quickly as they could, then Balan scouted ahead. The other kings had just returned, he saw, and they were all making ready to besiege the school. He slipped away from his lookout point to return to his sibling. "Got to move fast. Time's running out," he urged.

"All ready," Balin said, putting a torch to the pile. It flared immediately and the two scrambled back as the whole thing went up. In seconds smoke filled the air, the wind catching the billowing plume and blowing it in the direction of the camps. Good thing they'd built the fire out of sight. With luck it wouldn't be found. The brothers climbed out of the valley and walked along the top until they got a visual of the enemy camp. They saw men beginning to cough and shift. Orders were being given to find the source of the smell. People were starting to scout, but one by one they were dropping off or slowing down. The twins grinned victoriously at each other and looked back. Within an hour or two, most all the knights were as high as they were going to get.

"Let's go. This is our only shot," Balan said. Quickly the two headed back to Worcestershire.

KAK

The others listened in shock to the fact the plan had worked. "Arm yourselves, immediately!" King Pellinore ordered after recovering from the surprise. "This will be our only chance!"

Quickly the knights armed themselves and prepared to ride, as well as some of the squires who'd slipped under the radar. In fact, even the citizens of Carlion themselves, be they man, woman, or teen, were preparing to head out. Arthur grinned victoriously at Balan and Balin and immediately they slipped away. "This worked. It actually worked!" Arthur said, leading them from the school quickly. He wanted to try yet again to get Lot to back off. This wasn't going to be a fair fight, not with the rebel armies high as the clouds and his own 'army' perfectly functional. He didn't like the idea of fighting at all let alone fighting a fight that was totally imbalanced. It felt too much like cheating.

"Let's not sound the victory until it's a victory," Balan said, grinning in excitement. Mounting three horses, the trio galloped towards the camp of the kings.

Arthur dismounted as they neared. Most of the smoke had dispersed, so the plan luckily wouldn't backfire on them by getting them high too. "Alright, I'm going to try to warn Lot one more time and if he doesn't back down, any blood spilled here is on his hands, not mine." He knew he was just telling himself that, though. He'd probably bear some of the guilt on his own conscience personally too. He marched towards Lot's tent, barely assaulted by any of the knights. If they were attacked, Balin, Balan, and him made short work of them by blocking their blows and easily knocking them down. As he neared, Arthur squared his shoulders.

Suddenly a child staggered out of Lot's tent and Arthur froze, eyes widening. "What?" he asked. "Who's that?! Does Lot have another son? I thought Mordred was the youngest!"

They looked confused too. "Maybe Morgause went on a little 'tour' again and its hers? I mean, not like Lot hasn't taken in a bastard before. Mordred isn't his son by blood," Balan said.

"He isn't?" Arthur asked, surprised. The way Lot treated Mordred, he never would have guessed the kid wasn't his.

"Nope," Balin confirmed. Arthur was stunned. That was... He hadn't expected that kind of decency in Lot. "Oh damn, we got a little kid high!" Balin suddenly realized, immediately feeling guilty and putting his nails to his mouth.

The little boy staggered and tripped. Arthur quickly caught him. "Hey, are you okay bud?" he asked.

The dazed child looked up at him, trying to focus. "I feel strange," he answered. "Where's my brothers? Where's my cousins? Where's Ywain and Yvain?"

"Where are," Balan corrected. Arthur and Balin both shot him dirty looks as the child looked puzzled. Balan winced, biting his tongue.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked, turning attention back to the child.

"Loholt," the little one answered. He coughed and whimpered, sagging against Arthur. Arthur, cringing, picked him up and walked into the tent where Lot was busy looking around and fidgeting, trying to focus on something but failing. He was valiantly fighting to stay in control of his own mind, Arthur noted. Strong will power. He was kind of impressed.

"Leave. While you still have a chance. Your armies are in no condition to fight," Arthur said.

Lot spun in shock and his eyes narrowed as he scowled. "Damn you!" he furiously shouted. He spotted Loholt and stiffened, watching Arthur guardedly. He looked ready to spring if anything was tried against the child.

"I'm taking him back to Worcestershire with me, Lot, because if you aren't going to leave, then it's not safe for him to stay here. The knights from the school are coming, and the citizens are pretty ticked too. It's going to get ugly and your armies won't hold up. Please. Just take this chance and go," Arthur said.

Lot was quiet, eyes on Loholt. "Take him," he finally answered. "He attends there anyway. He's been sick, that's why he hasn't been at school… Just keep him safe... I'm not retreating from the likes of you. I'll see you burn one day, Arthur. Mark me well. We'll stand against you to our best."

"Where's your wife?" Balin asked.

"Sleeping," Lot answered. Probably best that she was. He was riding her out of danger then coming right back to deal with Worcestershire's five to eight-hundred knights. They would still conquer! …He knew he was lying to himself, but he'd dare hope...

"Alright," Arthur said. "Then whoever's lost here today, that's on _your_ head. Not mine. I tried to make you leave peacefully."

"Papa," Loholt whimpered.

Lot was silent. "You'll be alright, Loholt," he soon said to the boy, approaching and gently brushing his fingers through the child's hair. "They'll take you back to Worcestershire where your brothers and cousins are." Loholt perked up slightly. Lot smiled and softly kissed him. The child made a content sound and let himself go to sleep in Arthur's arms. Quickly Arthur left with Balin and Balan.

"Here. Take him back," Arthur said, handing Loholt over to them.

"You sure you'll be okay?" Balan asked.

"It's all good, bros," Arthur replied, smiling. They started then grinned at Arthur widely, perking up. He'd called them bros! Arthur grinned back.

"You know, you're alright, Artie," Balin said. "We'll be back after delivering the package." As they rode off, Arthur heard the sound of horses hooves coming in the distance. The knights approached. Arthur climbed out of the valley to get a better vantage point. Behind said knights, Arthur saw the citizens of the town coming armed with clubs and staves, emboldened by the march of the soldiers. His smile fell. He didn't relish this. At all. He hoped there wasn't too much… Well, he hoped the cost didn't end up too high… He probably should have known better than to hope… He turned to look towards the enemy kings again and drew his sword, setting his jaw. The knights poured into the valley with the citizens, and Arthur slid back down into the valley, swung up on his horse, and charged at their side. The rebel armies hardly had time to call out they were being attacked before the much smaller Worcestershire Carlion army descended on them cutting them down in droves and war cries.

KAK

 _Then he drew his sword and therewith he put them a-back and slew much people. And then the commons of Carlion arose with clubs and staves and slew many knights; but all the kings held them together with their knights that were left alive, and so fled and departed. And Merlin came unto Arthur and counselled him to follow them no further…_

"You don't need to follow them anymore," Merlin, appearing by Arthur as the rebel kings began to flee, said. Arthur was panting and drenched in sweat. Balin and Balan, who had come back and were at his side, were out of breath and sitting on the ground. None of them had fought like this ever in their lives. Had they killed anyone, Arthur wondered? He didn't know. He hadn't stopped to check. Gods, he hoped not. He didn't want to think on that. He nodded tiredly to Merlin instead, forcing a smile. "Impressive, King Arthur. Excellently done," Merlin praised.

"Thank you, Mr. Merlin," Arthur answered. He didn't feel impressive, though. He felt kind of cheap. He turned his head, watching after the rebel kings. His smile fell. Something told him they weren't done with him yet. Right now, though, he had to bring word Worcestershire was safe. And he needed to have a talk with Morgan if he could. Try and make amends. He looked at Balin and Balan. "You two okay?"

"That. Was. Awesome!" Balin said, giggling excitedly.

"Yeah. Death and war are awesome," Balan said, rolling his eyes.

"You know what I meant," Balin replied, frowning at his brother. "Come on, you've got to admit it was exciting."

Balan glared then smirked. "Yeah," he admitted. "But if anyone ended up, well, dead… at _my_ hand…"

"If you don't know for sure, you can at least try and tell yourself you never killed," Arthur offered, paraphrasing what Balan had told him earlier.

"Wow, that _was_ a cold comfort," Balan said.

"Least it was _some_ kind of comfort," Balin stated, standing up. "Let's head back, bros!"

"Bro," Balan agreed.

Arthur smiled. "Sure thing," he said, chuckling affectionately. Wow. _That_ was new. Merlin listened quietly, smirking to himself.

KAK

"To King Arthur, the savior of Worcestershire!" Pellinore cheered to the students, townsfolk, and knights who gathered in the school yard after the kings had been driven off. Arthur was in front of the whole assembly on a platform, crowned and looking as proud as they'd ever seen him.

"Hail the king!" they all called out. Well, the townsfolk did. The students were far, far more reluctant to acknowledge it. "Arthur has saved us all!"

"My good people, my good people, I didn't do it alone," Arthur said, quieting the crowds. "I barely did it at _all_. It was Balin and Balan who made it possible," he stated, noticing the two huddled to the side looking a little forlorn and unappreciated. "Guys, why are you over there? Come up here with me! You're the ones who pulled it off. Without you, this whole thing might have ended way different." They started then lit up, grinning. Quickly they moved to join Arthur on the stage. Arthur beamed at them and took their wrists, raising them up in the air with his own as the people cheered. Arthur grinned at the two twins as other students gawked in disbelief.

Needless to say, more feasting followed. Arthur could get used to the feasting part of this king job. He'd earned points in the eyes of the townsfolk at least. Not so much in the eyes of the student body. Well, a good chunk of them were actually paying him more attention, but that was either resentment or gold-digging or jealousy. It was a step, he told himself, but it didn't go unnoticed by him that literally none of the classmates he tried to talk to even gave him the time of day. He kind of wanted to see if Gawain could, but he and his brothers were nowhere to be found, so he assumed they were worried about their father and had ridden for home. After the seventh failed attempt to talk to fellow schoolmates, he was feeling pretty worthless.

"Hey Arthur?" Balin said from behind. Arthur turned and saw the twins. He perked up slightly, giving them a sad smile. "Great job."

"It wasn't just me," Arthur replied.

"Yeah. You made that clear… We just wanted to say thank you," Balan said. Arthur looked puzzled. "You know, for seeing more than just the hotboxing losers."

Arthur started, visibly touched. "Whoa… That was unexpected. Uh, you're welcome," he said in amazement.

"We're serious, dude. No one else would have given us the time of day. Wouldn't have even looked twice at us. Probably would have flat out rejected our offer to help, but you… you let us. You gave us a chance to rise above the do-nothings everyone thought we were, that even we thought we were, and we're like, really, really grateful for it," Balin said.

"Even _we_ forgot we were capable of doing more than getting high and lazing around," Balan added, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "And just saying, even if no one else in this school appreciates what you did for them, _we_ do. We've got your back, man. From here on out," Balan promised. "Ever need a friend, look us up. We'll even try not to be high for it."

Arthur perked up, looking hopeful and almost longing. "Really? Friends?" he asked.

"Acting like you never had one before. You and Dagonet seemed okay," Balin said, frowning curiously.

"Me and Dagonet are on friendly terms. We're not exactly friends," Arthur said, looking slightly sheepish. Not for lack of trying on Dagonet's part either… Maybe he should give him a genuine shot after all. Maybe it would help him overcome his trust issues? Or make them worse… But maybe it was worth the risk. "I'd given up on ever having true friends _long_ ago," Arthur added.

"You ever considered that that might be more your fault than others?" Balan asked. Arthur gave him an unimpressed glare. "Friends get leave to be brutally honest," Balan excused, grinning wickedly.

"Get lost," Arthur said. The brothers chuckled, leaving. Arthur watched after them then turned to look around. He spotted Dagonet and Alymere standing together near the back chatting animatedly. He winced, shifting. Taking a deep breath, he started towards them. Dagonet looked over and grinned at him kindly. Alymere glanced too and smirked, flashing him a thumbs up. He swallowed his nervousness and smiled, approaching them. "Hey guys," he said.

"You approaching me? _This_ is a first," Dagonet teased.

"I know… I'm hoping not to make it the last," Arthur said. Dagonet started, surprised, then realized what was happening and grinned, amused and impressed. Wordlessly he brought Arthur into the fold and the three boys began chatting together, soon thereafter being joined by a timid and cautious, yet hopeful, looking Balan and Balin...

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

"How could you?" Lot demanded of his wife, storming into their room.

Morgause, brushing her hair, paused and smirked. "What was that, dear?" she questioned.

"You were willing to bet the lives of our sons on a boy with nothing left to lose! A boy who owed them nothing! Why? How could you do that?!" he demanded.

"I did what you were too cowardly to do," she replied.

"Nothing is worth bargaining the lives of our sons over. What I did, I did of love, not cowardice!" Lot retorted.

"Do you imply I don't love our children?" she demanded, turning sharply on him. "I was the one who carried each one of them inside of me. I was the one who pushed them from my own body in agony! Don't think I don't love them just as much as you, if not more! Yes, more. You could never hope to love them as dearly as me. I suffered with them while you sat pretty waiting to have them brought to you while I screamed!" Lot was silent, turning away from her. "I knew he wouldn't do it. I wouldn't have gambled them otherwise," she finished.

"And if he had carried it out? Then what, Anna? I'll never gamble their lives, and as far as I can help it, neither will you. Ever again," he said.

"I will do what it takes, husband, to put the boy king where he belongs. In the ground," she replied. "Now, I'm going to go meet my children. They're coming to stay the weekend. Apparently they were quite worried about you. Will you accompany me?"

"I've already prepared the horses," he answered. Turning, he left. She smirked and followed him down. In minutes they were mounted up and on their way.

The two rode down the streets and soon saw their sons approaching on horseback. Lot perked up, smiling, his mood considerably lightened to see his children. They were alive, they were well, that was all that mattered. He needed to stop being distressed over what had happened. They were still here, in the end. He dismounted and quickly went towards them with a tired smile. "Hello, boys. Welcome home," Lot said. They dismounted and hugged their father tightly.

"Never do that again," Gaheris flatly said.

"I can't promise," Lot replied seriously.

"We don't want to lose you, dad!" Gaheris argued.

"You won't," Lot vowed.

"Then don't go to war with Arthur," Gawain pled.

"Gawain…" Lot began with a sigh.

"Daddy!" Mordred and Loholt said, scrambling into his arms before he could finish. He grinned, embracing them gently.

Morgause approached and Gareth frowned. "Thanks for caring back at the battle, mom," he bit.

"Oh my loves, you know I would never have done it if I hadn't been certain the boy king wouldn't have the guts," she replied.

"That you did it at all is disturbing," Gareth replied.

"Thanks for showing how much you care. We'll remember it," Agravaine darkly agreed.

"So hostile, my darling Agravaine," she cooed.

"Bite me, mom," Agravaine replied.

Morgause turned to look at the two youngest and a sweet smile spread across her face. "Mordred," she purred. Mordred tensed then relaxed, smiling at her. "Mommy missed you," she said.

"I missed you too, mama," he replied.

"Come darlings, ride with us and tell us about what you think of the new high king," Anna said.

KAK

The family rode towards the castle in silence for a while. "So, opinions," Anna finally prodded.

"Pathetic," Agravaine replied. "Surly too."

"A loser with an attitude," Gareth stated.

"He's… rough around the edges," Gaheris said. "But I get the sense he'll improve."

"Arthur has a lot of potential. I like him well enough," Gawain answered. "I think he just needs some experience and to work out a few trust issues. And to get over some self-centered tendencies. Apart from that, he seems promising. More than I thought he'd be. He'll... he'll be a great king one day, I believe."

"If he lives to be," Mordred replied. Anna smirked approvingly at the child.

"He will. He was really nice to me when he came back. He came and checked on me and asked if I was okay and gave me food and water and talked to me for a little bit. He promised that daddy got away and that my brothers were coming to me. If people treat him nice, he treats them nice back," Loholt said.

"And you, Mordred?" Anna pressed.

"I have no opinion," Mordred replied.

"Mordred doesn't like him because Mordred doesn't like anything," Loholt bit. Mordred sneered at him but did little more.

"I think Mordred, Agravaine, and Gareth have the best judgement," Anna said.

"Anna, really? Must you make your opinion so obvious?" Lot asked.

"Hypocrite," she retorted. "You've made your disdain for him more than a little apparent. Far worse than me," Morgause said.

"Touché," Lot relented as they reached their home. They dismounted, handed the horses off to the stable hands, and entered into the palace.

No sooner had they entered when Morgause gently took Agravaine's arm. He looked curiously over at her. She smiled and drew him away from his brothers. "What's up, mom?" he questioned, knowing she wanted to talk.

"Aside from the humiliation of your father's defeat?" Morgause asked. Agravaine grimaced, saying nothing. "I want you to do something for me, darling," she said.

"O-kay?" Agravaine more questioned than confirmed, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Is this something I'm going to regret?"

"On the contrary. I think you'll enjoy it immensely," she answered. "Because I want you to do your very best to make King Arthur's life hell."

Agravaine started then smirked cruelly. "You have a deal," he said. "But, uh, I think Mordred's already pretty intent on doing that himself. Kid has a mean streak."

"He takes after me. And you," Anna replied, smirking. And she planned to cultivate that. She had been already, in secret…

KAK

Softly she hummed to her little boy, rocking him gently and stroking his hair. "Hush child the darkness will rise from the deep and carry you down into sleep, child, the darkness will rise from the deep and carry you down…" she softly sang. "Guileless son I'll shape your belief, and you'll always know that your father's a thief. And you won't understand the cause of your grief but you'll always follow the voices beneath that sing loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty only to me…"

"Who is my father, mama?" the child questioned.

"Hush, Mordred. In time you shall know. Just wait a little longer…" she answered. His eyes sleepily drifting shut, he fell asleep to her softly singing him his lullaby.

 **End Act 2**

(A/N: The song Morgause is singing to Mordred at the end is Heather Dale's _Mordred's Lullaby "_, easily found on YouTube. Act 3 will be added to this book within a week or so, ideally, and after Act 3, this first installment will be done and I can start on the 2nd one. The second book might take a while, though, as it's not completely finished and there's a lot of tweaking I need to do to it. Anyway, again sorry for the lackluster battle, but again if anyone wants to write a more descriptive fight scene for it that I can incorporate, or help with one, I wouldn't mind the help with that.)


	14. Down to the River

_Act 3: Of Threats and Secrecy_

( **Important A/N - Revisions/Additions:**

I've revised Act 2 a little. A new chapter, originally part of Act 3, has been moved into Act 2 at a reviewer's suggestion to help the story flow more, and build on characters that didn't seem to have enough build-up. It takes place between _**'Approaching Armies'** _and **_'Confronting the Kings'_** , and is called **_'The Lectures'_**. It helps expand on characters and scenarios. Also, _**'Confronting the Kings'** _has been **added to** , the beginning expanded on now with follow up to _**'The Lectures'**_. It's a few paragraphs, but pertinent. That being said, Act 3 focuses on the aftermath of the rebel kings' attack and focuses on Worcestershire dynamics/characters once more.)

Down to the River

I lay dying and I'm left reflecting. Just what I didn't need. Personal reflection. Oh well. It's started and there's no stopping it. What sort of a king did I prove to be…? Yep, right to the point, the hard questions, one of the most painful to reflect on and here I am reflecting.

They said I was a good king, true and loyal and wise and fair. After I worked all my personal crap out and stopped thinking about only me, I started doing pretty good… Hmm, did I _ever_ stop thinking about me, I wonder…? They said I was a good king… But it wasn't a matter of whether I was a good king or not…

Sure, maybe I can believe my knights, allies, and subjects when they say I am… was… a good king. Thing is I just wasn't good _enough_ … If I was, maybe I could have stopped all of this. If I'd thought about the well-being of others and hadn't shied away in fear from helping resolve personal conflicts, maybe no one would have had to die. Who's to say anymore, though? After all, there were so many 'variables' and 'factors', as Lucan would have said, that it might have all happened _anyway_ … But I don't believe that… It was my fault, wasn't it…? Am I such a good king now, I wonder?

 **Chapter 1: Down to the River**

Spending weeks trapped in Worcestershire while the rebel kings laid siege to it had been a nightmare for Arthur. He had been all too happy to be on his way to Far Far Away again for the weekend. Dagonet had been less inclined to go back, a little bummed about it, but he knew it was only for a couple of days and so hadn't complained. Now, though, the weekend was over. While Dagonet was ecstatic to make his way back to Worcestershire, Arthur was anything but, sitting glumly hunched in the carriage. "Oh come on, Arthur. We'll get to see our hotboxing buddies again, and Alymere," Dagonet said.

Arthur perked up slightly. "Yeah, I guess," he replied. "I mean, Balan and Balin are like the only ones in that school who've been nice to me since I went back."

"Gawain," Dagonet reminded.

"Has been cordial, yeah, but not exactly… I don't know. With Balin and Balan, I'd even say they were…" Arthur began. He trailed off, stopping himself.

"Friends?" Dagonet pressed, smirking.

Arthur gave him a glare then shrugged. "No more than you," he replied.

"And I am…?" Dagonet quizzed.

Arthur grimaced. "A friend, okay?! You're… a friend," he replied. Friend… Wow… That term sounded so foreign in his mouth. A friend. He had made _friends_. It was so surreal. He still couldn't believe it. "You're a friend," he repeated like he'd never suspected he'd say those words about anybody as long as he lived.

"Feels good, doesn't it? To realize that this time you have people willing to watch your back. "Me, Balan, Balin, Alymere…"

"I… don't know about Astomar. He's kind of hard to read. Sometimes I think he's a friend, then sometimes… I don't know. Sometimes it feels like he barely tolerates me or lives solely to taunt me. And not like friends taunt. Like bullies do," Arthur said.

Dagonet frowned worriedly. "Well, if he steps out of line just let me know. I'll talk to him," he promised.

"No, it's okay. It's not like Lancelot level cruelty. I can take it," Arthur replied.

"Well you shouldn't have to take it at all from friends," Dagonet said.

"Like I said, he's _your_ friend. I'm not sure where _I_ stand with him," Arthur stated. "Anyway, never mind. It's not important. We're almost there."

Dagonet lit up, looking ahead. "Can't wait to see Alymere, Balan, and Balin," he stated.

"I'd be more excited if I didn't know I was going into the dragon's den again," Arthur answered. "The bad in that place far outweighs the good."

"Hey, maybe things will be better this time around. I mean, you saved them," Dagonet said.

"You saw how much my saving them meant to them," Arthur answered. Dagonet winced, flushing slightly. Yeah, he had. Was kind of upsetting how little they'd seemed to care they were probably alive because of Arthur. Great. Now _he_ was worried.

KAK

"Bros!" Balin and Balan said together as Arthur and Dagonet approached. Alymere smiled and waved at the two.

"Hey guys," Arthur greeted, smiling. He was still a bit hesitant and tentative, but the smile was starting to come a bit easier.

"Got the itinerary lined up?" Dagonet asked Alymere, approaching and high-fiving him.

"We start with the preps, we hit the jocks, then we tackle the goths," Alymere replied, grinning.

"You want to die?" Arthur asked. "Seriously, Morgan will have your heads if you tick her off enough."

"Pfft, she won't know what hit her and her little buddies," Alymere replied, brushing it off.

"Your funeral man," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes. "So, what's the schedule for today?"

"Big lecture on War Preparation is first," Alymere answered. "Every guy in school has to be there for it. First half are already getting the lecture."

"Wonder what the girls do while we're doing things like that," Balin mused.

"Follow Dinadan to find out," Balan replied. "I did once."

"Do we _want_ to know?" Arthur asked.

"No," Balan flatly replied. "But I'll tell you anyway! See, turns out the girls have their own wicked awesome battle program, bros. Just for them! Teachers got right on making one up, with the help of the women in their lives, when Pellinore took office. I mean, gotta learn to protect yourself, right? So, they go off in their little girl groups into the forest by the river, or into the gym or elsewhere, and they practice fighting, see, with the Madams instead of the Sirs, and man you should see them go. In dresses, no less! And sometimes less."

"Less?" the others asked immediately, perking up.

"Yeah," Balan excitedly said. "No outer dresses, only inner ones."

"So Dinadan creeps on them," Arthur flatly said.

"If you think he doesn't make it loudly known that he's around, you're kidding yourself," Balan replied. "He knows which ones are okay with it and which ones would gang beat him. Probably figured it out early on. They also learn about, uh 'girl stuff', which is… kind of gross, but yeah. Hey, if the Knights fail to protect a kingdom or village, it falls to the Dames to correct the mistakes of the knights and protect themselves. Sometimes they even win wars _for_ the knights. Wait, there's the boy now! Dinadan, hey Dinadan!"

"Wait for me," Balin said. Quickly the two made their way towards Dinadan. "Dinadan, bro, seems we never talk man. Tell us about yourself."

"You want in, don't you?" Dinadan asked, smirking at the twins.

"No clue what you're talking about. That you would think… Yes, yes we do," Balan answered.

Dinadan laughed. "I'm liking you two. You want in on my rounds, follow along and learn, boys," he replied. "Let's go. They should be out there about now. Best part is when they swim in the river afterwards, if they're practicing on their own without the teachers. Sometimes their inner dresses get skin tight!"

"Score!" the twins exclaimed, instantly attaching to him.

"Did they just hook up with Dinadan? Did we just get ditched?" Arthur asked Alymere and Dagonet as they watched the twins heading away with Dinadan.

"Skin tight… Maybe I should tag along too," Alymere said.

"Dude, that's nothing. I once caught a glimpse of Tiffany's ankles!" Dagonet said.

"Whoa," Alymere said. "How'd you swing that?"

"She thought she was alone. I walked around the corner at the wrong—right for me—time," Dagonet answered.

"Unbelievable," Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey, you know what? You might be able to gain some points with Guinevere if you beat them to the river and alert them. Then we'll see how many of those girls actually _do_ like being interrupted. Plus, you'll impress her," Dagonet said.

"You devious… I'll be back!" Arthur said, immediately racing to find a horse.

"Want to try and catch a glimpse?" Astomar asked Dagonet.

"Heck yes," Dagonet answered. "Dinadan, wait up!" he called out, going after the older boy with Astomar.

KAK

Arthur galloped down to the river and along it, listening for the sounds of combat. It wasn't long before he heard metal on metal. Wait, what if they turned on him for bursting in on them? Then again, maybe they just took offense to being spied on? If he didn't sneak up on them, maybe they'd be okay with it. His horse leapt over a final log and raced around a corner. There they were. More specifically, Gwen. "Guinevere!" he called before he could think his speech through. He regretted it immediately, but hopefully he could stammer his way through this.

The girls turned swiftly, startled and looking ready to fight. On seeing who it was, though, they became confused. "Arthur?" Gwen asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

"I, uh, um… That is to say there's…" he began, stammering all over himself on meeting her eyes. She knew his name! Well, she'd said it before, just… that was beside the point! "I-I mean, D-Dinadan's on his way, and he's bringing others. I don't know how many of you girls actually like the attention, but I just thought I should warn you just-just, you know, in-in case you weren't, um, okay with being watched?"

"Ugh, ew," Guinevere said, grimacing in disgust.

"Don't knock it, Gwen. When he stops hiding and comes down to put on the moves, we can put on the charm and get ourselves a lesson. He's a pretty good teacher in swordsmanship," Tiffany said, immediately perking up her hair a bit. The boy was good at tutoring. A few others followed suite, preparing to charm Dinadan and whoever else he brought into a sparring match or two.

"What kind of swordsmanship?" Elaine asked, grimacing.

"Don't be brash Ellen," Brittany stated, frowning. "The weapon kind."

"I wouldn't mind him showing me how he sheaths the _other_ kind," Jessica swooned. "He's cute. Not to mention filthy rich."

"He's the Earl of Lambaile," Elaine said. "Of course he's rich. With plenty of land to boast too, and a heck of a business sense. That man can peddle like no peddler ever peddled before. Probably why he moonlights as a merchant. His silver tongue could cut through steel."

"Whatever. Whoever would rather not be creeped on, follow me," Gwen said.

"You're missing out on a good opportunity to advance your fighting skills if you leave," Brittany pointed out. Again, Dinadan was a good tutor.

"I'll get my dad or Cador to help me make up for it," Gwen said, brushing it off. "So totally not giving that creep the satisfaction this round. You _have_ heard the rumors, right? That guy is a total freak show." Arthur shifted a bit uncomfortably and bit his tongue before he could say something about innocence until there was proof of guilt. He was looking to impress Guinevere, not isolate her. Gwen looked to Arthur. "Thanks for the heads up."

"A-any time Gwen," Arthur replied, flushing. She didn't give him a second glance as she walked by, and his heart sank. He bowed his head sadly. So much for points.

Gwen paused, waiting for the other girls who were leaving with her to pass her by, then looked back at Arthur with a curious frown. "You rode all the way to tell us that?" she asked.

He perked up slightly, turning to her. "W-well yeah. I-I mean I wanted to, uh, to-to warn you. I mean, it can't feel very good to be ogled all the time."

"Actually, it's one of the best confidence boosts out there," Tiffany replied.

"Gwen doesn't need the confidence boost. She's already the most beautiful girl in school. A new guy falls for her every other day," Brittany bitterly, and a little sadly, bit.

Arthur frowned then rode towards Gwen. "Never mind them. They're just jealous of you. Hey, uh, where's Morgan?" he asked.

"Your freak sister wanders off to practice alone," Gwen said. "Good riddance, as far as I'm concerned. She'd try to turn me inside out otherwise."

"She wouldn't…" Arthur began.

"Note the lack of a 'probably' or 'maybe', Artie. Yeah. She would," Gwen replied. "But whatever. See you around."

"Really?" he asked, grinning eagerly.

"Doy. We like, share classes," Gwen replied like it was obvious, rolling her eyes.

"O-okay, see you! Bye," Arthur replied. She'd paid him attention! Inwardly he cheered and rode away from the girls on cloud nine.

KAK

Agravaine stood up high on the walls of the school, looking down over the yard and watching as Arthur and his friends left the school grounds heading for the river. "Well _this_ prank backfired, no thanks to Dinadan," he bitterly remarked to Sagremore. And to Mordred. Mordred was perched on the wall watching curiously over all the people. It was his first time up here. He'd finally convinced Agravaine to take him. He liked this perspective, he decided. All the kids down below looked just like insignificant little toys. Like if he reached out he could pick them up and move them wherever he wanted.

"Dinadan was unexpected for sure," Sagremore agreed as he leaned against the parapet, tossing a ball against a wall and catching it again. "I wouldn't blame him for just happening by, though. Not like he knew we were planning to tar and feather Artie and his merry band of losers. Besides, they joined _themselves_ to him. He didn't invite them along to wherever he goes. Hey, you remember his fight with Lance at the tournament. That was pretty intense."

"Lancelot's been working on him a while. Guess the Earl of Lambaile finally reached his breaking point," Agravaine said. "So, _this_ attempt at making Arthur's life hell failed. Time for another plan. Hmm…"

Sagremore tossed the ball one last time then caught it again, looking over the edge curiously. He spotted Dinadan's brothers Daniel and Brunor talking. Soon Brunor headed off to join up with the rest of the jousting team, minus Sagremore, and Daniel was left alone, looking lost and unsure. Soon Daniel headed to the library. "Okay, that'll work," Sagremore said.

"What?" Agravaine asked Sagremore.

"I'm up for taking a crack at the boy who would be king again," Sagremore said, shrugging and tucking the ball away.

"Really? So soon after the last time? You usually only get cruel when you're fed up with something," Agravaine said.

"Seems you need all the help you can get, so why not?" Sagremore replied with a smirk.

"Bite your tongue!" Agravaine shot.

"Hey, I need to get Daniel out of here anyway. Kid's indoors by himself most of the time. That can't be good for him, so he needs me around to give him a little push sometimes," Sagremore said. "So, I'll push him into a trip down to the river."

"How do you know Arthur's heading there?" Agravaine asked.

"Because Brunor talks," Mordred murmured, still watching the little people down below. Agravaine gave his baby brother a questioning look. Mordred sighed. "I asked him why Dinadan goes away from the school sometimes. He told me Dinadan goes down to the river to fish. I told him Dinadan didn't like fishing and once said he'd rather impale himself. Brunor just patted my head and said when I was older I'd understand that fishing doesn't always mean fishing, whatever that means. Brunor's weird. Anyway, that's where Dinadan goes."

Agravaine and Sagremore exchanged knowing smirks behind Mordred's back before turning to Mordred again. "Hmm, I need to up my game if my baby brother's out-spying me," Agravaine remarked. "So, you really think you can pull it off Sagremore?"

"Here's a hint for you, Agravaine. Making Arthur's life hell isn't something that's going to come about in one bang. To make a person's life hell, you need to work on them. Your little stunt with Lance, stuffing him in Dinadan's locker and all, wasn't a failure. It was just one of the many steps you'll need to take to get that kid to crumble. I'm just taking the next one, so yeah, I can pull it off," Sagremore said.

"I know. You're right. I prefer getting it done quick and easy though," Agravaine said.

"That works for assassinating, maybe, but not for tormenting," Sagremore answered. "And we're not looking to kill him."

"Why not?" Mordred questioned.

Agravaine frowned at his sibling. "Okay, kiddo, you need to chill. Mom's full of hot air. Don't be buying everything she says," he stated.

"He been hanging around the darker cliques?" Sagremore asked.

"They aren't about murdering a king," Agravaine replied.

"I don't know. They're into some pretty morbid crap," Sagremore replied.

"Yeah, well Arthur's sister is in that kind of scene so odds are that's not where this is coming from. Morgan doesn't hate her brother," Agravaine replied. "Not as far as I can tell."

"Through all your failed flirtations?" Sagremore bit.

Agravaine glared at him, eyes narrowed. Sagremore smirked mischievously. "Go do your job," Agravaine finally growled, pointing after Daniel. "And for the love of all things good and evil, don't fail."

"I'll be back with a report before you know it," Sagremore replied, saluting and heading off to get Daniel and head down to the river to keep an eye on things. Arthur would be in a fairly vulnerable position there, only four people backing him. Two barely functioned as human beings they were so high all the time, and two were pretty well nobody's, so he could probably hold his own in a verbal war. He'd get lectured by Daniel later, but whatever.

KAK

Daniel, pouring over a scroll in the library, gasped as it was suddenly pushed down in front off him. He looked quickly up, bracing in case it was a bully. On seeing who it was, however, he relaxed. "Oh, Sagremore, it's just you," he murmured, looking down at the scroll again.

"What are you doing in the library, Dan? Put that thing away and hang out with me. What, you couldn't be bothered seeking me out?" Sagremore asked.

"Don't you usually have practice?" Daniel asked.

"The lecture is today, remember?" Sagremore replied.

Daniel tensed up immediately. Soon he rolled up the scroll and met Sagremore's eyes. "Fair enough," he said. "Are you going to forget I'm there again?"

"I did that once!" Sagremore defended. "You're so quiet you don't even have the right to blame me for that one, man."

"You do it every time you're with your other friends," Daniel answered, looking down again timidly.

"I do not! Half the time you just walk yourself away because you can't be bothered with gossip and small-talk. That's _your_ problem, not mine," Sagremore defended.

"I can't stand the jocks," Daniel replied. "They aren't exactly kind to guys like me, you know. You're like the sole exception."

"Come on, Lancelot never bothers you. Or any of us. You're too quiet and out of the way for the guys to bother with," Sagremore said.

"Forgettable you mean," Daniel answered.

"Don't put words in my mouth, pal," Sagremore warned, frowning.

"Do you even like your teammates, Sagremore?" Daniel asked.

"No. But people socialize, Dan. It's what we do," Sagremore answered. "Now follow me and don't hide away in here. It'll just be us, promise. Let's wander down to the river and kill some time before _we're_ called in for the lecture."

"You want to go to the lecture wet?" Daniel asked.

"We'll go for a short dip. Toss our clothes on the beach to keep them dry and jump right in, problem solved," Sagremore answered. "And since I know you don't like the whole swim free thing, we'll keep the undergarments on."

"I-I guess," Daniel answered, shifting slightly. "Okay. Let's do it."

"There you go!" Sagremore praised, clapping his friend on the back. He'd rather do some highly competitive sport or something, but Daniel wasn't a fan of that kind of thing. His loss, Sagremore figured. He wasn't complaining, though. He had a job to do after all. Besides, he'd dragged his friend off to do plenty that Daniel hated doing, so he owed him something mild. Daniel smiled quietly and rose to follow Sagremore out.

KAK

"Damn, Dinadan's good with a blade," Dagonet remarked to Alymere, Balin, and Balan as they watched Dinadan tutoring the girls on some techniques.

"How'd this go from flirting to teaching?" Balin asked dubiously. "Kind of wanted to get _away_ from school, not _be_ schooled. Seriously? _We_ haven't even learned some of these."

"We have, actually, you two were just busy getting high. But in total honesty, some of those moves are graduate and college level techniques we're not supposed to learn for a few more years. Take the opportunity to pick up some tricks. Din's at a higher level than we are," Alymere said, studying Dinadan's movements.

"Pfft, we'll learn it when we learn it. Come on, let's go. Din's stealing the thunder. We aren't getting a crack at them. They're too busy learning," Balan said.

They heard footsteps and turned. Arthur appeared, smiling to himself. "Good news?" Dagonet asked.

"She acknowledged me," Arthur dreamily said.

His friends stared at him dubiously. "That's… a _great_ accomplishment. She acknowledged you. Go… you… I guess," Astomar said.

Arthur frowned at him. "It's a big deal, okay?" he defended.

"Uh huh… Well, Dinadan's stealing the show, showing the girls next level techniques even _we_ haven't learned yet, so unless you want to go down and learn some of them for yourself, we're better off just walking away and doing something else," Dagonet said.

"Frankincense and Myrrh?" Balin offered, smirking.

"Seriously? Is that your solution to all life's problems?" Alymere bit, frowning at the twins.

"Totally, bro," Balan answered.

"There'll be no Frankincence and Myrrh using!" Arthur said, frowning. "If you're that bored, let's try and find some excitement before we have to get back to school."

"Radical bro!" the twins said together. Arthur gave Dagonet and Alymere a 'wow' look. "There's a nice swimming spot downriver," Arthur offered. "Pretty close to a waterfall, but as long as you don't get caught in the rapids you're all good. It's relatively calm around there."

"Sounds good. Let's go," Dagonet said. Arthur nodded and led his friends off.

KAK

Arthur, Balin, Balan, Alymere, and Dagonet were grinning and fooling around in the river, splashing each other, jumping off rocks, floating downstream, sunbathing, etc. They had to cram as much of that stuff in as possible, because it was only so long before they had to be back in the dingy halls of Worcestershire for the war lecture. Balin and Balan were currently treading around in the water. Astomar and Dagonet were competing with each other to see who would jump from higher. They were at a draw right now and had stopped to discuss with one another whether or not it would be suicide to try the next highest point. Arthur would say it was, but hey, if they did attempt it he couldn't be held accountable for their stupidity. Or could he? Was that part of the king gig?

He grimaced at the thought and really hoped they didn't go higher. Common sense fortunately kicked in, and the two jumped from where they were together, whooping in excitement. Balan and Balin cheered madly, clapping. Arthur clapped but didn't bother cheering, grinning excitedly instead. He'd try to jump, but he was averse to attempting things that could potentially kill him. Heights could potentially kill him. Kind of. The fall could, at least. He wouldn't say it was a fear, he wasn't scared of heights, it was just the falling part! If he was challenged he'd probably do it, but not a minute before.

Arthur looked around the area appreciatively. It was gorgeous here. His smile fell and he caught his breath, though, on seeing two people approaching through the woods. One of the two he wasn't alarmed about, the other, though… "Oh no," he said.

"Whassup bro?" Balin asked.

"Sagremore incoming," Arthur replied, grimacing and pointing as Dagonet and Astomar swam upstream to them. The others looked over and cringed. Great…

"Man, at least Daniel's there to buffer him, right?" Balan hopefully asked.

"Since when does Daniel speak up?" Alymere replied with a scoff.

"Point," Balan admitted with a wince. "On the bright side, he won't gang up with the guy against us either." Just then Daniel and Sagremore came off the trail and spotted them, stopping short. Arthur and co rolled their eyes and went back to swimming around.

KAK

"Oh look, the wannabe king is here," Sagremore said.

"Let's not get into a confrontation, please," Daniel pled to his friend.

"Astomar, I'm disappointed! Always thought you were the kind of guy who knew which side his bread was buttered on!" Sagremore called out. Alymere's jaw twitched, but he kept quiet. "Now you're sucking up to the wannabe king? What, Arthur got power now suddenly he's interesting? Come on, man, you know he won't last."

Alymere's eyes narrowed, but soon he smirked and returned to laid back mode. "Newsflash, 'pal', _I'm_ not the one choosing the wrong side. What can I say? Artie has more power in his pinky than the entire school has combined."

"Tell me, what's he like as a friend?" Sagremore challenged.

Alymere shrugged. "Pretty cool, actually," he answered. Once you got over the closed-off nature, that was. Which was no easy feat in and of itself.

"BS," Sagremore answered.

"Careful or he might banish you back to Hungary where you came from!" Dagonet said.

"That would be a loss? At least I'd survive the upcoming war the Rebel Kings apparently want," Sagremore replied. "You're only kidding yourself, Arthur, if you think Lot and his allies are going to back down."

"Look, can't we just ignore each other and enjoy swimming with our friends?" Arthur replied.

"That right there? That's the attitude that's going to get you conquered," Sagremore answered. "You're a coward, Arthur."

"I am not! I fought a dragon!" Arthur immediately defended.

"Sure your freaky ogre buddy didn't fight it for you?" Sagremore sneered.

"Bite me! Shrek was knocked out cold. Keep my friends out of this," Arthur immediately defended.

"Aw, did I hit a soft spot?" Sagremore taunted.

"Hey Dan, what's it like being the most forgettable sap in the school? Must save you a lot of bullying, but man, even your best _friend_ doesn't remember you exist half the time," Balin spoke up.

Daniel cringed, bowing his head ashamedly and moving slightly back. "You useless, hotboxing waste of air! You keep him out of this!" Sagremore savagely snapped, all but snarling and taking a couple of menacing steps towards the river.

"Whoa bro, sorry. Thought we were going after one another's friends now. Daniel's about your only _real_ friend, so much as I hate to put him down, I don't really have a choice," Balin said, shrugging.

"Nice," Balan muttered, grinning. Balin smirked.

"Can we not antagonize him?" Dagonet hissed, not liking the way Sagremore was glaring at them.

"Fine!" Sagremore spat. "Friends are off limits, then. But not you morons. Ugh, if this is Arthur's force when he goes up against the rebel kings for real, we're all doomed. Oh wait, he's not going to go up against them at all. He'll probably curl up in a ball in a tower and whimper until they come for him."

"Fu…lip you, Sagremore!" Arthur snapped.

"I'm just speaking truth, Artie! I mean, your friends are already fighting your battles for you. They're probably braver than you too. The lowlifes are putting the king to shame," Sagremore replied.

"You do realize that you're starting to sound like every other bully in existence, right? Come on, Sagremore, don't be a clone please," Daniel replied, frowning at his friend. "I like you better when you're acting more like you and less like Agravaine or Lancelot."

"Since when is he anything _but_ a clone of Lance and Agravaine? Every sucker who kisses up to Lancelot ends up mimicking him like a fawning fanboy," Astomar said.

"That tells you Lancelot's twice the leader Arthur will ever be," Sagremore said.

"That tells us that Lancelot could tell you to jump off a bridge and you'd be dumb enough to actually do it, you'd be so star-struck," Dagonet answered.

"Come on, Sagremore, be chill," Balan said.

"You and your brother are the kings of chill for sure. So chill you're almost catatonic," Sagremore bit. "But fine. Fine. I'll switch it up to something more my speed." Daniel breathed a subtle sigh of relief and Sagremore shot him an annoyed look. He turned back to Arthur. "Okay Artie, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. Anyone been jumping into the river yet?"

They were silent. Finally, though, Dagonet shifted and answered, "Yeah. Me and Alymere. Why?"

"Where'd you jump from?" Sagremore asked. It didn't go unnoticed by the others that his tone had changed and now actually sounded… well, a lot more natural for him and a lot less malicious. Competitive, more like it, but not in a cruel way. More in a rival challenging you to a contest kind of way, genuinely interested in what you could do compared to him.

"There," Alymere answered, pointing to the highest point they'd leapt from. Where was this going? Pretty lame test if Sagremore challenged Arthur to jump from that same spot.

"Nice. You have guts," Sagremore said, eying the perch. They looked a little confused at the compliment, unsure what to make of this guy who'd just a minute ago been ripping into them all. Sagremore turned to Arthur. "So, 'Your Majesty', show me you're as bold as your friends. Hell, show me you're _braver_. Show me you have the courage to climb up there and jump."

"That's the lamest challenge ever," Arthur said incredulously. Sagremore only smiled mysteriously. Daniel watched his friend suspiciously. Where was this going? Something was up. Arthur's eyes narrowed and he swam towards the cliff.

KAK

The young king pulled himself out of the water before starting to climb up. After a moment, though, he slowed and paused. "Something wrong, Artie?!" Sagremore called. "The King scared of heights?" Arthur shifted uneasily. "Oh wow, you are," Sagremore said, eyes lighting up in delight.

"No! I'm just… not a fan of falling from said heights and dying," Arthur replied.

"Wow, I though I might have nailed it when I called you coward, but not _this_ much," Sagremore said.

"Screw you!" Arthur replied, eyes narrowing as he started to climb higher. As he did, he winced. "Don't look down, just don't look down. The heights won't kill me, the fall will. As long as I climb safe, I'm good. I'm good. Okay. Almost there," he murmured to himself. Ooh, he really shouldn't look but he kind of wanted to… He swallowed and looked. He gasped, clinging to the cliff tightly. Oh he was high. Okay, okay, he was still alive. He was still good. He swallowed, holding still and waiting for himself to adjust to the height. After a moment, he looked up again and started onwards once more. This wasn't so bad. The heights weren't the scary thing, the falling was. The climbing was good. He was safe… For now. That thought made him subtly shudder.

He pulled himself finally up onto the edge and looked down. It hadn't seemed this high from in the river… "It isn't so bad, it isn't so bad. Take a breath," he said out loud to himself. He swallowed, peering over, then prepared to jump.

"I said prove you're braver, Artie! Go one higher than your buddies did or forevermore prove me right about you!" Sagremore called up. Daniel sharply looked at him, eyes wide in disbelief. Arthur froze. Balin, Balan, Alymere, and Dagonet spun quickly.

"What? Sagremore, the reason we didn't climb higher is because that cliff is seriously unstable higher up! It's a deathtrap to even _try_ and climb further! That whole ledge is crumbling and it's too close to the rapids anyway. You know, the rapids that lead straight to a waterfall? This is dumb!" Alymere immediately insisted.

"He'll be fine," Sagremore brushed off.

Arthur tensed up and looked uneasily up. There was a reason Dagonet and Astomar hadn't gone higher. Probably because this height was already pushing the boundaries of safety. Also, that spot was more a rock hanging off a cliff that already looked… less than reassuring. He got the feeling it wasn't an 'official' jumping spot at all. That was like, at _the_ top. You turned around up there, you were heading into the forest. Plus, it was closer to the rapids. He looked back down again uneasily. Was proving to this creep he wasn't a coward more important than his own life? "I don't think I…!" Arthur began.

"What's that? Is that the sweet sound of giving up?" Sagremore called up challengingly.

Arthur's eyes narrowed. Yep, proving the creep wrong was more important than his own life, he decided. Well, he didn't decide that, but if any adult saw what he was about to do, that was probably _exactly_ what they'd be thinking. Scowling, Arthur turned to the cliff and started up carefully. He felt the ground shifting slightly and paused uneasily before pressing onward.

"Arthur, this is crazy! Don't do it!" Balan shouted, now alarmed.

"Hey 'bro', if you're so intent on proving Arthur a coward, why don't you crawl up there too?" Balin demanded of Sagremore with a scowl, pushing him slightly roughly.

"That a challenge?" Sagremore asked, smirking and ignoring the shove.

"Yeah. Start climbing spider freak," Balin retorted, balling his fists.

"Alright. I will," Sagremore answered.

"Sagremore, this is crazy!" Daniel protested. "You can't…"

"Hey Sagremore, I made it!" Arthur tauntingly called. They all looked. Arthur's friends and Daniel gasped in shock and alarm.

"Can you even _survive_ a jump from that high?" Daniel worriedly asked.

"Would be nice to have Lucan around to answer that for us, but we're out of luck," Dagonet answered.

"Or Safir," Alymere said.

"He'll be fine as long as he doesn't belly flop," Sagremore replied, rolling his eyes at their exaggeration. "It's not that bad." He turned to Arthur. "You haven't made it until you've jumped!"

Arthur hesitated. "Hold up, Arthur! Sagremore's going to head up after you. If you're doing this, he's going to have to prove he's not a hypocrite and jump after you!" Balin called.

Sagremore gave him a dirty look then turned to the cliff again, summing it up. With a huff, he dove into the river and swam towards it. He reached it in good time and began to climb. "Wow, he's a strong swimmer. And better at climbing than I thought he'd be," Dagonet remarked.

"Sagremore's athletic, big on competitive sports and general competition. He strives to be the best at everything he does. It gets annoying sometimes. He's a really, really sore loser, but to his credit he doesn't often lose," Daniel answered.

KAK

Arthur inwardly winced on seeing the time Sagremore was making scaling this cliff. Dang, he'd forgotten how sporty the guy was. He felt a bit inadequate. Frowning, he looked at the jump again and shifted. Now or never, now or never, now or never. Taking a breath, he prepared to jump. Just then, though, he heard a grinding sound and tensed up. He looked down at Sagremore. "Did you hear…?" he began. He cut off when he saw Sagremore looking up at him in shock, pale.

"Arthur, the cliff!" Sagremore shouted.

"Wh…?" Arthur began, turning quickly. Suddenly the rock he was on broke loose and toppled down, taking the king with it! Arthur cried out in terror, toppling down towards the fast water.

"Shi…" he heard Sagremore start to say before he felt himself strike the water with a crack.

"Arthur!" Dagonet shouted in horror.

"Dammit!" Sagremore exclaimed. He'd wanted to challenge the guy, not kill him! The rocks rained down after Arthur. Without a second thought, Sagremore dove from the cliff into the river to try and save the king. The _last_ thing he needed was to be executed for causing the death of the Monarch!

Arthur floundered around underwater in a panic, totally disoriented. Why did the current suddenly seem so much faster?! More importantly, how was he still alive?! He'd tumbled down amidst a _mountain_! He thrashed frantically, trying to find up and down, and for a moment he broke the surface long enough to hear his friends frantically shouting his name before he was struck by a stone and pushed under again, pinned. He nearly panicked. Oh gods, he was going to die! Like _this_! Desperately he tried to break free. Suddenly he felt someone firmly grab his arm and at the same time push at the stone. He opened his eyes underwater to try and see who it was. He was more than a little shocked to realize it was Sagremore. Sagremore finally pushed off the rock and pulled him near so he could get a better hold on him before breaking for the surface.

KAK

When Sagremore broke the surface with Arthur, the others literally cheered. They were a little concerned about how far downstream the two were, but at least they were safe! Or…not. Daniel scrambled over some rocks to get a better view of the duo and froze, eyes widening. "Oh no," he said.

The others looked over. "What?" Dagonet asked.

"The falls!" Daniel exclaimed in horror, pointing. The others caught their breath, scrambling up, and nearly had a mass heart-attack.

"Sagremore knows, right?!" Astomar demanded.

"Sagremore, the waterfall!" Daniel shouted, looking towards his friend.

"I'm aware!" Sagremore called back, swimming for the opposite side of the river through the rapids. It was closer at this point. He looked at Arthur. "You're so pathetic that you have to rely on others to save you instead of saving yourself? Are you that sad, Artie?" he bit.

"I'll be offended after I get over my gratitude," Arthur replied, getting his bearings again and starting to help Sagremore reach the other side before, well, enough said. They reached the cliff through the fast-running water, clinging to it tightly.

"A damsel in distress king. That's just what this kingdom needs. Well done," Sagremore insulted as they began to climb up to safety. "A few days after the coronation, war is mounted. A few days after that, you nearly die. If this is a sign of things to come, then…" Suddenly he cried out in terror as the rock he was pulling himself up on gave out, sending him toppling back into the rapids!

Arthur gasped, turning. His eyes widened. "Sagremore!" he exclaimed in horror as he saw the other being rapidly swept towards the falls. Immediately he raced along the shoreline. He had a very narrow time period in which to save the guy—he half wondered if he even should—and he needed to find _something_.

"Arthur, here!" Daniel shouted from across the river. Arthur looked over as Daniel threw a rock towards him, around which a rope was tied. He caught the rock and rope, quickly pulling off said rope and wrapping it around himself. He dove into the water, swimming straight for the struggling Sagremore who was disturbingly limp, which meant odds were he'd hit his head and was either unconscious or dazed.

"Sagremore, hold on!" Alymere called. "What's the plan?!"

"Tie the rope on something and pray!" Daniel replied. That was about all they _could_ do.

Arthur swam determinedly to his tormentor and lunged for him, seizing his arm. Sagremore looked like he was just coming to, coughing on water. His eyes flickered open and he wrapped his hand around Arthur's arm in turn. His grip was loose, given he was currently so out of it, but it was something. Sagremore gave a cry as he felt the water drop under him. "Whoa, hold on!" Arthur shouted, clinging desperately to Sagremore with all his strength. He gave a cry as he too toppled over the falls. He refused to let the guy die, though, he refused! He almost didn't think the rope would catch, he figured the others hadn't tied it in time or weren't strong enough to hold them both up, but suddenly it tightened, almost winding him enough to make him drop Sagremore, and swung them out of the falls, leaving them dangling over the cliff.

KAK

Soon they stopped swinging. Arthur, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth tightly, finally dared open them. He gasped in relief when he realized they were still alive. "I did it," he said. "I did it!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Yes, woo hoo! I did it!" he cheered himself. He felt Sagremore slipping and caught his breath. Uh oh. "Sagremore? Sagremore, come on man, get your head in the game," he pled. He couldn't hold him up alone for much longer. Sagremore, still groggy, was only now starting to process he'd stopped falling and was still alive. He looked down and caught his breath, grip tightening on Arthur as he started to regain his senses fully. "There you go, man. Come on. I can't hold you like this alone much longer," Arthur encouraged.

"Ouch," Sagremore said, shaking his head. "Nice catch."

"No snarky remark first? You're _really_ dazed," Arthur bit.

"I call it like I see it. Nice catch. Really nice," Sagremore said.

"Just because it was you I saved?" Arthur demanded defensively.

Sagremore cringed. "No," he admitted. "I wouldn't have guessed in a thousand years _anyone_ could make a save like that let alone you. But this means nothing."

"Why did I dare hope?" Arthur replied, rolling his eyes. "Guys, we're okay! Pull us up!" He looked around, squinting through the mist of the falls. He caught his breath, eyes widening. "What?" he asked out loud.

"What?" Sagremore asked.

"Is that… a _prison_?!" Arthur asked.

Sagremore looked over and started. "What?" he said again in surprise.

"Is that…?" Arthur began.

"I heard! And yeah. Yeah, I think it _is_ ," Sagremore answered. "But when…? How long has it been abandoned?"

"You ask like I'm supposed to know," Arthur replied as they started to be pulled up by the others. "I don't, but I intend to find out. I hope they evacuated all the prisoners. If they didn't…"

"Maybe we should check it out," Sagremore said, sounding slightly uneasy at that thought.

"You read my mind," Arthur replied.

"Scary," Sagremore joked.


	15. The Abandoned Prison

The Abandoned Prison

(A/N: Kind of a throwback to Skyrim. Well, one of the locations in Skyrim.)

"So, after two near death experiences, one for each of you, you both want to go check out some abandoned prison we have to rock climb down to, that hangs over a precarious waterfall, just to see if anyone was left behind?" Alymere dubiously asked.

"If prisoners were abandoned there, they're dead. Long ago," Daniel added seriously.

"We need to at least try," Arthur replied. "Who knows when it was abandoned? Maybe it wasn't too long ago."

"So suddenly we're buddy, buddy?" Alymere asked, glaring at Sagremore.

"No, he's still one of the creeps that kidnapped us, but we share a common goal for now," Arthur replied.

"If people are alive down there, that kind of outweighs our little grudge match," Sagremore defended, shrugging. "Tell me you people at least know how to climb."

"Better than you," Balin replied.

"That a challenge?" Sagremore asked.

"What's with you and challenges?" Dagonet asked.

"I told you, he's highly competitive," Daniel said.

"Meet you at the bottom, sucker," Balin said, turning and beginning to carefully descend the cliff to the prison.

"Because the permafried slacker can beat the disciplined sportsman," Sagremore replied with a smirk, quickly starting to descend too.

"He's really not so bad," Daniel murmured quietly to the others with a flush, trying to defend his friend.

"That's reassuring," Balan replied, rolling his eyes. Daniel winced.

"Hey, I'm up for giving the guy a shot. Long as he doesn't treat me and mine like dirt," Alymere said, feeling a bit bad for Daniel. "Quick thinking with the rope there, by the way."

"Oh, thanks," Daniel replied.

"You seem totally different than Dinadan and Brunor," Dagonet remarked. He'd never really gotten to know Daniel, like at all, so he was curious.

"Well, Dinadan. Brunor kind of fluctuates," Daniel replied, turning to climb down with the others. "We're three stages. I'm the shy quiet one, Dinadan's the loud outgoing one, Brunor's the guy that's right in the middle."

"He is?" Dagonet asked.

"I know he comes across like a creep, but he was the one who told you and Arthur where they stuffed Alymere," Daniel pointed out. He'd managed to drag that story from Brunor and Sagremore both. And had been less than impressed.

"Touché," Dagonet admitted.

"What do you guys think we'll find in there?" Arthur asked.

"Bodies, so this is probably a horrible idea and we'd be better off getting a teacher or adult to check it out, or at least to come _with_ us," Daniel answered.

"Treasure?" Alymere suggested, totally ignoring the remark.

"I'm all for that," Balan replied with a grin. He looked down after his brother. "Wow, Sagremore and Balin are more evenly matched than I thought." His brother was really going. Sagremore was, of course, starting to pull ahead, but Balin wasn't letting his position go so easily. He definitely wasn't going to let Sagremore le Impetuous win by a large margin.

KAK

Soon they'd all reached the ledge on which stood the entrance to the decrepit looking prison. "I wonder if this was a recent collapse or an old one," Arthur said. "I need to ask Aunty Lillian about this place. Maybe she knows something."

"You were a tougher challenge than I gave you credit for," Sagremore admitted to Balin.

"What, you don't begrudge it?" Balin asked.

"Hey, when I'm genuinely impressed with something or someone, I won't hide it. Part of being a good sportsman," Sagremore said.

"You a good sportsman?" Balan doubtfully asked.

"Good sportsman, sore loser," Sagremore amended. "I did the same with Arthur when he saved me. Kind of impressed he has yet to turn my words back on me."

"About how I'm a damsel in distress who can't even save himself?" Arthur bit. Sagremore cringed and shifted awkwardly. "No hard feelings," Arthur said. "Not while I'm trying to rise above."

"Ouch," Sagremore said, frowning.

"Oh please. We all know you'll go back to being Lancelot's fanboy when we get back to school, so he has a right to take a crack at you," Balan said. Sagremore scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"It's going to get depressing in there. I hope I'm not the only one who realizes that," Daniel spoke quietly up, looking at the entrance. The others grew slightly more solemn.

"How can I right wrongs if I don't understand what kind of wrongs I'm dealing with?" Arthur finally asked.

Dagonet looked at him in surprise. "Whoa… That's like one of the most mature things I've ever heard you say," he remarked. Sagremore looked more than a little taken aback too.

"I know. Kind of scary even to me," Arthur said. "We ready for this?"

"Ready as we _can_ be," Astomar said.

"Okay… Let's do this then," Arthur said. Taking a breath, he reached out to open the doors.

KAK

Creepy was the first word that came to mind. Followed by haunting. Then depressing. A staircase spiralling down greeted them almost immediately. "Well, this is… eerie," Dagonet said.

"We'll have to be really careful going down," Arthur said, tentatively stepping on the stairs. They were stone and seemed pretty stable, so he wasn't overly concerned about their safety, but just in case. They started down in pairs with exception to Arthur, who took the lead. Wind blew through every crack in the walls and every hole, making eerie moaning sounds that almost sounded like screaming apparitions.

"This is so not okay," Alymere said, now a bit tense. "Anybody have a weapon? Anyone?"

They reached the bottom and Arthur kicked around in a pile of stuff. "Here," he said, pulling out a rusty iron sword. It wasn't great, but it was something. He handed it to Alymere." "Let's search around and see what we can pick up weapon-wise."

"Found a mace," Sagremore soon said, finding a chest and opening it up. "A few more weapons in here too. Dan, catch." He tossed his friend a war axe and crossbow.

Dagonet came over, scouting through, then pulled out a dagger. "These things aren't in great shape, but eh, what can you do?" he said.

"Make due I guess," Arthur replied. Balan and Balin pulled some weapons off an old weapons rack they'd uncovered.

"Flail. Nice," Balan said, swishing it around.

"Hey, watch it!" Sagremore protested as it almost clocked him. Balan grinned innocently, shrugging. Sagremore rolled his eyes.

"Impartial to swords personally," Balin remarked, pulling one out and swinging it around, then grabbing another for good measure.

Arthur pulled off an old shield from a wall and picked up a blade. "These will keep us alive, right?" he asked.

"Guess we'll find out," Daniel answered. "Hopefully there's nothing too powerful in here."

"No kidding," Alymere answered. "Let's go."

Arthur nodded and started off into the next chamber only to freeze, gasping and quickly moving back. "Oh boy," he said.

"What?" Sagremore questioned.

"There's some kind of… thing in there. That's made of stone I think," Arthur said.

Daniel peered in carefully. "A golem," he said. "This might get hairy."

"If we all whittle away at it we should be okay, right? Long as we stay out of range," Dagonet said.

"It's that or go back. If he gets too tough, we run," Arthur replied.

"Let's go," Sagremore eagerly said, pushing to get ahead.

"Easy! Let's try sneak first, please," Balan said.

"We're going to be late for the lecture," Daniel remarked with a sigh. He'd never been in trouble before. He wasn't relishing it. Or getting chastised by Dinadan. He could call his brother out for hypocrisy, but Dinadan was actually surprisingly diligent with attendance unless he'd sweet-talked a girl into bed.

"How is being late as pertinent to you as the fact we might get squashed by a golem?" Balin asked dubiously. Daniel flushed sheepishly.

"Teacher's pet," Alymere teased. Daniel frowned at him.

Carefully they started into the chamber with the stone golem, trying to slip by as quietly as possible. It began to grind, sensing something, and started to turn. They froze, catching their breath and hoping it didn't see. Sure enough it didn't, at first… until suddenly Sagremore sneezed. The other tense and turned sharply to face him with eyes narrowed. He flushed. "I thought I could hold it?" he lamely offered. The golem's roar rang out and they gasped, immediately shooting to their feet with weapons drawn. "Spread out!" Sagremore shouted.

Quickly they spread out, giving the golem more targets than it was accustomed to. It went for Sagremore first, who was ready for it and nimbly dodged aside, striking it with his mace then hitting it again from behind. Daniel raced forward, attacking it as it tried to sweep at Sagremore. It gave a grinding bellow sound, going for Daniel. Daniel dove under its fist and moving quickly out of the way. Balin and Balan attacked together in tandem, dancing constantly around it and keeping its attention on them. Arthur, Alymere, and Dagonet closed in to help.

They brought it down gradually. It had gone more smoothly than they'd thought it would. "Huh, not too bad," Sagremore said. "I'm surprised."

"They'll increase in strength. Where there's one there's probably others," Daniel said, scouting ahead a bit. He looked through the door. More stairs, but he saw something big moving down there. "There's something big coming up," he said.

"Let's try to take it by surprise this time, please," Arthur said, frowning at Sagremore. Sagremore winced and nodded in agreement.

Cautiously they started down. As they got lower, they heard the sound of the beast below. "Iron," Dagonet whispered to them. "Slow and steady now…" Quietly they crept as far as they could get and stopped when it began to get suspicious and search. They waited, hearts beating and breath held. The moment it turned away from Sagremore, he leapt from the stairs, driving his mace down into its head with a crushing force. The others immediately followed suit, jumping and driving their weapons into it quickly. It put up a struggle, throwing more than one of them, but they were quick and managed to avoid its attacks while the rest kept holding on and striking from its back et al. Again it took some time, but it was eventually defeated to their relief.

"So far so good," Arthur said. "Hopefully the cells are just ahead, because I don't know how much more intensity we can handle."

Alymere scouted this time, pushing through the door. "More stairs, but not spiral this time. I see the next door. I think we're there," he declared. Cautiously they headed down, weapons at the ready, and pushed it open. Immediately they were hit with the stench of decay…

KAK

Before them stretched a long hallway, cells on either side. There was silence. Carefully they started down. They looked into the cells on either side as they passed the first ones, and stopped. Skeletons. That was all. Just empty bones. They were quiet. "Did they…? Did they just leave them to _die_? Gods… They must have been so terrified…" Sagremore finally dared to say. "Do you have any idea how horrible it would have been?" Left alone until thirst or starvation or the elements got them… What a way to go.

Arthur was silent. He wondered how long they'd screamed… He shuddered to think about that. He swallowed and moved onwards slowly. Some bodies still had flesh… "Oh gods," Daniel said, feeling slightly sick and quickly looking away from a cell where a man had been reaching out for salvation. Arthur shivered. None of the bodies were clothed, he noted. They'd been stripped naked and left to die like animals…

"All the Frankincense and Myrrh in the world won't help me forget this scent," Balin said with a shudder, visibly sickened. He closed his eyes, looking down and swallowing back bile.

"This couldn't… why did they leave them? It couldn't have been Harald and Lillian, could it? They wouldn't _do_ something like this!" Dagonet said. Arthur was quiet. He fully intended to find out.

"Hello?!" Balan called out. "Is anybody alive in here?! Anyone?!"

No response. "We should go," Sagremore soon said. "There's nothing here for us."

"Somebody's going to pay for this," Arthur said, looking around. He continued onward.

"Arthur, there's nothing to be found. We need to get back and report this," Dagonet said.

"I'm just taking count," Arthur replied. Eight so far. Nine. Ten… He paused at the last cell at the end, which was down a small flight of stairs. "Eleven," he said. At least if it too had a body. He approached it and looked inside. His heart twisted uncomfortably. The body of a man who looked like it could still be identified… He felt tears threatening his eyes as the others came and stopped, looking in.

"If that body is still that fresh, this didn't even happen long ago," Sagremore said. "Either that or… or he held on a really, really long time before he went… Good for him…" They were quiet. "Let's go," he finally said.

"Okay," Arthur said in a near whisper. Turning, they all headed for the doors out.

They shut the door to the cellblock behind them and started up the steps. "Help!" a voice suddenly, desperately, weakly, cried out, and they froze, spinning around with eyes wide.

"Was that from…?" Balin began.

"Yes!" Balan exclaimed. Immediately they turned, bursting back into the cellblock and looking ahead.

"Gods, don't leave me!" the voice pled painfully and brokenly. "Don't leave me!"

"Dammit!" Arthur exclaimed, racing back towards the sound of the voice. It was coming from the last cell!

KAK

When he'd heard the clanging swords, he'd thought he'd been dreaming. Only for the briefest of moments had he tried to hope before giving up. He'd just closed his eyes once more, laying still on the ground. For so long he'd refused to pray for death, refused to give up on life… But now there was no more hope to cling to… There hadn't been for a long time. All he could do anymore was wait to die… He'd fallen into a semi-asleep state. He heard everything but couldn't tell whether it was a dream or reality anymore. He heard the dungeon doors open, heard the voices speaking, but he'd had such dreams before. He didn't even care to try to cry out. But the longer he heard them, the more real they seemed… He supposed maybe it wouldn't hurt to call for help once more. If it was a dream, he was no worse off than before, but at least he could tell himself he'd fought to the bitter end to live.

Gritting his teeth, he willed himself to get up. He crawled weakly to the bars of the cell, holding them, and cried, "Help! Gods, don't leave me! Don't leave me!" He gave a shuddering sob, sagging against the bars as tears slipped down his cheeks. "Please. Please…" he pled through dried lips. When the doors burst open again, he hardly dared believe it, breath catching in his throat as he looked up. His eyes widened in disbelief and he could have sobbed when he saw them appear at the top of the stairs. It came out a strangled cry. Seven boys, probably no more than fourteen to seventeen thereabouts. He let out a shuddering breath, sagging weakly against the bars and shivering.

KAK

"Oh my god!" Arthur exclaimed on seeing the man in the cell.

"Shi…" Alymere began.

They ran towards him and quickly fell by the cell. "Sir, sir, oh man, you're _alive_! How long have you been trapped here?! Who are you? Why were you imprisoned? What happened?!" Arthur demanded. The man broke down into sobs, body shuddering.

"Get him out!" Sagremore insisted.

"There's no key!" Arthur replied. "Can anyone jimmy the lock with a dagger?"

"I'll try it," Dagonet said, taking said dagger to the lock and trying to get it to open. "Come on, come on… Dammit, it's not working!"

"Hold up!" Sagremore said. "Can anyone use lockpicks?"

"That's Agravaine's thing!" Balin said. Sagremore winced. Oh yeah. Agravaine. He'd forgotten what he was supposed to be doing, but right now this was more important.

"I have a bit of skill with picks," Dagonet replied. "Not a lot, but a bit." They couldn't take time to get Agravaine from the school.

"Hopefully it's enough," Sagremore said, bringing a good number of them out. "Agravaine tried to teach me before saying I was hopeless, but he left me some picks so here."

Dagonet took them and set to work on the lock. A few broken pins later, they finally heard the click. "I got it!" Dagonet exclaimed. Quickly he pulled the lock off the door and pulled open the cell. The man inside collapsed into Balin and Balan's arms in tears, clinging tightly to them.

"Get him food and water!" Daniel insisted. "The guy's starved and dehydrated!"

"It's okay, you're out now. It's okay," Arthur frantically tried to sooth, offering the man an apple. The man seized it and began to devour it ravenously like he hadn't tasted fruit or vegetables for years. Quickly Arthur brought more of both out, as did the others, pooling their lunches to feed the weakened prisoner who all but swallowed it, pausing only long enough to relish in the taste of the juices if he happened to remember to. Quickly Sagremore gave him water, which he drank desperately. Arthur draped his cape over him to try and give him some warmth. He seemed to be suffering some frostbite. Maybe hypothermia too, guessing by how cold he felt.

"Gods, how long have you been here?" Dagonet gently questioned, repeating one of their previous questions. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Fi-five y-years im-imprisoned…" he muttered with a tongue that obviously hadn't spoken for a long, long time. "T-two since-since it began to sink. One since the-the guards abandoned us… Ten months since I've been alone…"

"How did you survive?" Daniel gently asked.

"Will," the man answered with a sharp and bitter laugh. "My-my cell was-was in the back, lower down than the rest. Water trickles down into it when the river is in flood or when it rains. I collected what I could. I-I lapped it from the walls when I couldn't gather. Sometimes it-it barely came in time… Survived off rodents, insects, snakes, whatever came into my cell. Oth-other prisoners tried to escape, but-but the golems… And others ended their lives to die on their own terms. Others… They screamed for weeks before there was silence, praying for a savior or a rescue… No-no one ever came… I haven't eaten for weeks… Bare-barely enough water to wet my lips, and each day it sunk farther… If I didn't die of cold or starvation or thirst, I would have drowned like a rat."

"Easy, easy, don't stress your body," Daniel pled as he and the others tried to warm him. The man was near death. He wasn't sure they'd even get him to help in time. Carefully Daniel rolled him over and caught his breath. "Oh god…" he whispered. His back, from neck all the way down to the feet, was scarred horribly with whip marks and burns and scars that barely left an inch of skin untouched. Many looked like they'd never been treated and had healed horribly. Daniel lay him back down, and when the light caught the prisoner they saw the lashes and burns scarring him in the front too, and the burns and cuts and gashes that marred his face. This man had been tortured beyond the point of endurance. Gods… What had happened to him? What had he been accused of? The prisoner shuddered and slipped into unconsciousness.

"He's going to die," Dagonet said quietly. "If we try to bring him back, all we'll return with is a body. Maybe we should… should end him mercifully…"

"No. He fought this long to stay alive. It's obvious he wants to live, so we're going to do whatever we can to help him live," Arthur firmly replied. "Let's get him out of here. At least he can see the sky and the sun before he goes." They laid him on Arthur's cape, and Balan and Balin wordlessly picked him up between them, carrying him upwards towards escape. That was the easy part. The true difficulty came when they tried to get him out of the crevasse and up to the top of the falls. It was a nightmare. By what miracle they'd managed to bring him to the school alive, they didn't know. They wouldn't have managed if not for Sagremore's help for sure. It paid to have an athletic sports nut around.


	16. Petipace of Winchelsea

Petipace of Winchelsea

(A/N: Sorry for missing an update yesterday. To make up for it I'll probably post two chapters today. Enjoy.)

Gawain and Lancelot were contentedly sitting in silence on the wall of the school, looking out over the view. "So, where'd you meet Jessica?" Lancelot eventually questioned.

Gawain tensed up slightly. "The forest," he soon answered. "She was… in a meadow when I caught sight of her. She spotted me and came up to me and asked if I could help her. Of course, I said yes. She asked me to lead her to Worcestershire. She said that she was a new student there and had gotten turned around. So, I brought her back. We got to talking, she got to flirting, I got to giving into hormones like a stupid teenaged sap, and you know the rest… She lied to me… She wasn't who I thought she was…"

"It wasn't Gwen I was with that night at the party," Lancelot said after a moment. Gawain stiffened, saying nothing. "You… You knew…"

Gawain was quiet. "I wanted to tell you, but Jessica… I didn't exactly have the chance to warn you about the ring Elaine used on you," he said.

"Stupid witch. I should have her banished or imprisoned for that," Lancelot bitterly said.

"You think you can bring yourself to order that for Elaine? It isn't like you've never thought about being with her, Lance. She's probably a better match for you than Gwen would be anyway."

"Bite your tongue!" Lancelot replied.

"Gwen doesn't know what she wants yet, Lancelot. She's flighty at the best of times right now. Elaine however, knows exactly who she wants. She treats you with more honor and respect and love and loyalty than Gwen ever has or ever will. Besides, you used to really like her," Gawain said.

"Well I don't anymore. And she'll pay for her lie," Lancelot replied, blushing slightly and looking away. Gawain sighed. "What do you mean by Jessica not being who you thought she was?" Lance soon asked.

Gawain was quiet. "I…" he finally began. He stopped suddenly, though, straightening up. "Oh my gods…" he said, quickly standing. Lancelot followed his gaze and gasped, rising quickly.

"Is that…?" he began.

"Arthur and co? Yes. And they're carrying a body!" Gawain said. The two exchanged alarmed looks then bolted towards the stairs down.

"Open the gates! Hurry!" Lancelot shouted to the gatekeepers. Confused at first, they nonetheless hurried to do so.

"Lance, what's going on?!" Brunor, sitting not far off with Dinadan, called over to Lancelot.

"Arthur's coming back with his friends. They're carrying a body!" Gawain called out.

"A body?!" Dinadan asked in confusion. That was… disturbing.

"Wait… didn't Daniel go off school grounds?" Brunor asked. Dinadan stiffened and looked over at his brother quickly. They stared at each other for a shocked moment then gasped, bolting for the gatekeepers and roughly shoving them aside. They began lowering the drawbridge as quickly as possible. The moment it dropped, Dinadan and Brunor shot outside like arrows. Lancelot and Gawain quickly followed them.

KAK

Arthur and co looked up on hearing the drawbridge fall. The next second Dinadan and Brunor were there, looking the body over frantically. "I'm here, guys," Daniel spoke up. They looked quickly over at him then tackled him.

"Then who the heck is that?!" Lancelot demanded, pointing.

"It's a long story, Lance. We'll talk later. Just get a teacher or something!" Sagremore replied, covering the man to spare him some modesty for when he woke up. If he woke up.

"Come with me. I'll take care of him while they're summoning a physician," Gawain said.

"Oh man, having Sir Carados back at school would be pretty useful now," Brunor said.

"Well now he's with the rebel kings. But Caradoc taught me all I know about medicine. I can tend this stranger well enough until trained help comes," Gawain assured. "Hurry up." Quickly they followed Gawain to the school's medical house and laid the man down on a bed.

"I'll get King Bagdemagus," Dagonet said. The vice-principal would know what to do, right? And who to contact? Quickly he ran off with Astomar following him. Gawain immediately set to work fussing over the man after ushering the rest of them out, to their reluctance. He told them that they would hear soon enough what had happened. Arthur watched helplessly as the door was slammed on them. Oh, he hoped Petipace would pull through…

KAK

After getting over the surprise of being cast out by Gawain, Lancelot turned to Arthur, eyes narrowed. "What happened out there, loser?!" he demanded.

"We were swimming then there was an incident and Sagremore nearly went over the falls so I saved him and while we were dangling we looked through the mist and just… There was this prison, Lance! An abandoned prison, built into the cliff! Oh it was just… You should have seen it, man! And we wondered if it was recently abandoned so we all went to check it out in case it was and people needed help in there. Then there were golems and this long hallway and these dead bodies and we thought no one had made it, but when we headed back we heard someone call out so we ran back in and to the last cell and he was in it! He was alive and in it! He said he'd survived by lapping water from the walls and by eating whatever animals found their way into his cell and it was just… Wow… And we couldn't leave him there to take the time to find help, so we brought him out and climbed him out of that crevasse—that was not easy, I promise you—and brought him back and now here we are."

Lancelot listened, flabbergasted. "You expect me to believe…?" he finally began to blurt.

"It's true, man, one-hundred percent true," Sagremore, looking equally excited, said. "We couldn't believe it, but there he is and he's all the proof you need to see we're not lying to you. Oh man, I've got to tell someone about this!"

"And let the teachers know so they can figure some way to collect the bodies," Balan solemnly said.

"Definitely," Sagremore replied, grimacing. "Gods it must have been a nightmare for them…"

"We'll spread the word," Balin said.

"And I'll…" Sagremore excitedly began. He stopped, suddenly, catching sight of Agravaine lingering nearby and wincing. "Uh, I'll figure something out, but right now there's this… thing I have to do so, uh, Arthur, keep me posted." Quickly he headed off to face the music. Brunor and Dinadan immediately led Daniel away, bombarding him with questions as they went. Arthur tensed up, realizing suddenly that he was alone with Lancelot. He winced, looking guardedly over. Lancelot didn't seem to be paying much attention to him, though, eyes fixed on the door to the medical house. Arthur thought about saying something then decided he didn't want to trigger Lance. Instead he sat to quietly wait. Lancelot, seeing this, leaned against a wall to wait too. Now he was curious.

KAK

Sagremore approached a slack-jawed Agravaine who was looking at him like he'd totally lost it. He reached him and Agravaine quickly pulled him out of sight. "I thought you said you'd make his life hell, not end up going on a grand adventure with him!" Agravaine sharply hissed.

"I did make his life hell! At first. Until he saved mine and we spotted the prison," Sagremore replied. "Come on, Agravaine. Adventure versus bullying? The choice was obvious! You should have _seen_ those golems! And the story he told… That guy we dragged back should go down in legend for what he went through!"

"Unbelievable," Agravaine said in disbelief.

"Oh come on, don't pretend you wouldn't have done the same!" Sagremore heatedly defended. "Look, I did damage to him, okay?"

"Then befriended him right after!" Agravaine shot.

"We're not friends! We pulled off a little quest together, that was it. It's not like suddenly I'm buddy, buddy with Arthur and his band of misfits, outcasts, and rejects! Sheesh, just chill already," Sagremore said. "You can probably come up with another method to torment Arthur anyway. Knowing you it'll take like three minutes. I've got to get ready for the lecture. See you."

"Turncoat!" Agravaine called after him. Sagremore waved him dismissively off as he left. "Unbelievable," Agravaine grumbled. If you wanted something done right, you did it yourself. He'd try one or two more methods first, though. Just to see how far he could go.

KAK

Gawain had done all he could before the man was transferred to a skilled physician who arrived from town. The man had been moved to a guest house that felt less like a dungeon, because when he'd woken up he'd started to hyperventilate and panic, terrified it had all been a dream until Gawain had hurried back in along with the real physician. The physician had determined immediately the man needed to be moved to a more comfortable place, preferably with windows, and it was done promptly. Arthur now paced outside of said house with Gawain and Lancelot, the former of whom sat quietly with head hung and the latter of which was staring out a window. "What can you tell me?" Arthur asked Gawain suddenly, stopping and spinning on him quickly.

"His life was hell in that prison," Gawain flatly replied.

"Meaning…?" Lancelot sharply pressed for Arthur.

Gawain sighed. "He was tortured brutally and daily. Whoever beat him despised him. Whatever he did… It was bad. There probably wasn't a minute that went by when he wasn't under the whip, or being branded or cut, or being tortured in some other worse way. Probably was mutilated too. He suffered… I don't even know how he's still alive or how he found the will to fight on…"

Arthur was quiet, head bowed. Wow… He looked towards the door. He wondered if the man was awake. Soon the physician came out. The three boys looked at him. "He's calm again," the physician said. "He wants to speak to the boys who saved him."

Arthur nodded. "I'll get the others if you promise to fill me in," Gawain offered.

"Uh, okay," Arthur replied, a little surprised at the friendly bargain. "Thanks?" Gawain nodded and hurried to get the others. Lancelot looked after his friend in disbelief then glared at Arthur with a scowl. Arthur tensed up and quickly looked away. With a scoff, Lancelot went after Gawain. Arthur relaxed with a sigh then waited for the others to arrive before they all entered together.

KAK

The man looked up from the bed towards the boys as they came in. They stopped a way back from him so as not to crowd him. He eyed them silently then lay his head back on the pillow. "Thank you," he finally said.

"We weren't going to let you die there," Daniel answered.

"Others did, the few dreams that weren't dreams… They heard a cry, thought it was a ghost, and weren't brave enough to dare to try to find the truth," he answered. "Not many of the dreams were real, though… I'm glad _you_ were…"

"Who are you?" Balin questioned.

"My name is Petipace. Petipace of Winchelsea," he answered.

"Why were you imprisoned?" Balan asked. "They said it had to be something pretty bad for you to be treated like, well… that."

He was silent. "I took a force of good men and rode against the wrong enemy," he soon answered. "His name was King Rience, or Ryons. A wicked king. Dangerous, powerful, a tyrant and overlord… I dared rebel and was overwhelmed. He presented me and my men to King Harald and Queen Lillian and accused us of high treason, genocide, pillaging and ravaging the towns we assaulted, and the list went on. So many chargers were put against us that to be granted execution would have been a mercy. Both King and Queen were utterly appalled. I tried to plead innocent, but Rience was their trusted ally. They wouldn't hear me. They gave Rience leave to do with me what he saw fit… So he did… You have no reason to believe me, for all you know I'm lying to you. All I have is my word, but I promise you that's what happened."

Arthur was quiet, looking disturbed. "Why didn't they hear you? I thought my aunt was more reasonable than that!" he said.

"Aunt?" the man asked.

"This is Arthur. He was the heir to the throne after their daughter and son-in-law refused it. Harald and Lillian were his uncle and aunt. When Harald passed, Arthur took over with Lillian acting as an advisor, kind of," Dagonet said.

Petipace was quiet, summing Arthur up. "Then it's to you, I suppose, that a retrial will go?" he said.

"There'll _be_ no retrial. From the looks of things, I'd say you've probably suffered a thousand times more than you ever deserved to as it is," Arthur said.

"If only you knew," Petipace said.

"Enlighten us," Sagremore said.

"You're only children. I won't speak of all that befell me to you. It's… more than anyone should have to hear," he said.

"Then speak of just some of it," Daniel said.

"I can tell you I was made the example to my men, daily brought out before them and tortured, but I won't say how, and I won't say much more than that. I will say that often I was left on the verge of death and never able to cross over. I will say that until the guards abandoned us, I had forgotten what it was like not to feel pain and to not wake up dreading a torture session. When it ended it was so foreign to me it almost felt like I was in another body altogether. It took me time to adjust to feeling… normal again." No longer burned with fire or molten metal, no longer soaked with blood, no longer forced to move on broken bones, no longer having them rebroken or twisted, and on and on the list went. My will to live came back, then. For myself, and not just for the sakes of my men. I promised I wouldn't be broken or beaten by him… I promised myself that until I couldn't battle fate any longer I would fight to live. So I did… I'm grateful you didn't simply mercy kill me. I can't say I would have done the same had I been the one to find any of you in such a position." Mainly because the idea of children suffering so horribly… He didn't even want to pursue that thought.

"What are your plans after you're healed?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know," Petipace answered. "I suppose by then I'll have an idea, though."

Arthur nodded. "You're probably welcome to stay here as long as you need to," he offered. "I can talk to the Principal, King Pellinore, or the Vice Principal, King Bagdemagus, about it."

"I'll think about it," Petipace answered. "For now, I'm tired. I'd like to rest… First sleep I'll have had for years where I'll actually be comfortable and safe… Can you even imagine what that feels like? No, probably not. I wouldn't want you to have to experience it ever anyway."

"Rest well, sir. Welcome to the first day of your freedom," Alymere said, smiling.

"That word sounds so strange," he said. "And the feelings it brings with it… Thank you. Thank you so, so much. For not fleeing like others did. For caring enough to search and save me. Just… Thank you…" He closed his eyes and soon was asleep, quietly the boys left the room and wen their separate ways.

KAK

As he worked on his latest assignment, Arthur couldn't help but be distracted. He was worried for Petipace for one, and terrified of what the rebel kings were planning for two. He didn't know what to expect, and that was freaking him out. He'd always known what to expect before he became king! Well, in a lot of regards at least… Pertaining to bullying… Also, he had to write down notes about that prison. He wanted his aunt to answer some questions, and if he didn't make note of said questions, he'd forget. He looked around for some paper to write on and sighed when there was none. Great. "Problem?" a voice asked. Arthur turned. Lucan.

"I need a piece of parchment and a quill, if that's what you mean by problem. A few questions I need to write down. I have to ask my aunt about… something…" Arthur said.

"Something to do, no doubt, with the stranger in our midst?" Lucan asked.

Arthur cringed. "Yeah," he replied. Dang it, he'd thought he'd been subtler than that.

"Don't look surprised. There's nothing else new here worth writing anything down over. Here," Lucan said, giving him a quill and parchment.

"Thanks," Arthur replied, taking them. "Let's see… I want to know why they refused to hear him plead his case. I want to know if they knew about the sinking prison. I want to know if they knew the prisoners had been left to die. I want to know who the guards were so I can get said prisoners some justice. I want to know who was imprisoned there and who to send… send letters to… Wow this is going to be more work than I thought."

"If you need help, _I_ have nothing better to do," Lucan offered, shrugging.

"Really? You're up to that?" Arthur asked.

"No, but better that than sitting around twiddling my thumbs," Lucan answered.

"Don't you have homework? Because I know I got a ton of it dropped on _me_ ," Arthur said. Lucan gave him a dubious look. "Right. Genius. Forgot."

"Thanks," Lucan replied, frowning.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Arthur defended. "Hmm, what do you want to do?"

"Command me," Lucan answered, shrugging. Arthur gave him an odd look. That was an interesting choice of term.

"Um… can you figure out who the guards stationed there were and if any are still alive? And where they are if they're living?" Arthur said.

" _Can_ I?" Lucan replied.

"Will you?" Arthur asked Lucan looked dubious. "Yes?" he corrected again, unsure what was being implied by that question. Lucan face-palmed, shaking his head. "Well what do you want me to say?" Arthur demanded.

"Here's a thought, try giving orders like a king does," Lucan replied.

"Not you too," Arthur said with a groan. "I'm not going to become a dictator just because I have a crown, Lucan. I don't care what you or anyone says! I'm not making people do what they don't want to do. Look, I'm trying to show you some respect by giving you the choice, now make the choice. Can you do it or not?"

"Of course I can," Lucan replied, rolling his eyes.

"Do you want to or not?" Arthur demanded.

Lucan glared at him. "Yes," he finally answered. "I want to. Kind of curious myself."

"Thank you!" Arthur said. Lucan shook his head at him then rose and left to do some research.

KAK

Arthur sighed in annoyance, going back to his notes for his project. When he was done, he'd write a letter to his aunt. Or he could wait until the weekend and ask her in person. Less chance she could give him the runabout then. Yeah, maybe that was the best idea. The doors opened and he looked over. He smiled on seeing who it was. Dagonet and Alymere. They'd planned a study group with Balin and Balan, but Arthur hadn't been sure anyone would show up. It seemed that the twins weren't going to. "Where are the twins? Do I even need to ask?" Arthur asked.

"Nope. One guess," Astomar answered, rolling his eyes.

"Hotboxing again. Great. Guess it was depressing, yeah, but they really need to figure out a better way to cope with it," Arthur said with a sigh. "At least you two showed up. Was starting to feel pretty out in the open here."

"So what subject are we tackling fist?" Dagonet asked.

"The ins and outs of enchanting," Arthur replied.

"Seriously? It's not like we're ever going to use this stuff," Dagonet replied in annoyance. "That's more your sister's thing anyway."

"You never know. Might come in useful. Have no idea how, but it might," Alymere said.

"Morgan can have it," Dagonet answered flatly.

"The sooner we get it done the sooner we move onto more interesting things," Arthur answered, shrugging and stuffing the parchment on which he'd written his questions into a tome for later reference.

"Fine," Dagonet said with a sigh.

KAK

Agravaine peered out from behind a bookshelf, observing the three quietly. Let's see. Now how to go about… "I can't believe I let you talk me into this," his companion hissed.

"Shh!" Agravaine hushed, turning to him with a frown. "Eyes on the prize, Bran."

"Hate to break it to you, Agravaine, but I'm not the type you're looking for to help you with this. Why didn't you get Bleoberis?" Bran de Lis demanded.

"Because I don't want my head smashed in?" Agravaine answered, frowning.

"What did you do?" Bran de Lis asked, rolling his eyes.

"I… may have insulted his mental facilities," Agravaine replied. "Turns out the oaf's clever enough to know when I'm burning him even if he doesn't understand the words I use."

"You realize Bleoberis is smarter than you give him credit for, right?" Brandelis defended.

"Tell it to someone who cares," Agravaine replied, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, I will," Brandelis replied, ready to walk out.

"You leave you're not getting one gold piece," Agravaine warned.

Brandelis frowned, debated whether the money was worth the belittling, then sighed and settled in. "So what, exactly, is our plan?" he asked.

"Okay, first you distract him with some mild harassment, and while they're occupied with you I'll sneak up and burn his homework to a fine crisp before…" Agravaine replied.

"You're trying to make his life hell through espionage? Give me a break. Stand up, we're going out there to talk him down mono a mono," Brandelis said.

"I'm trying to be creative and use my brain! He has backup that can do just that, back him up. And since _you're_ not going to beat him up, and _I'm_ certainly not going to beat him up, we need to get to him another way," Agravaine said.

"You know what? Talking him down it is," Brandelis said. He stood up, turned to the shelf of literature they were beside, and shoved it over with a grunt, glad it wasn't one of the heavier ones. "Head's up!" he called. Arthur, Dagonet, and Alymere looked quickly over and cried out in alarm, diving under the table as the bookshelf fell where they were, burying their things in a pile of loose leaflets, scrolls, tomes, and whatnot. Agravaine gaped in disbelief then quickly dodged out of sight. "Oops! I'm so sorry, did I do that? My bad," Brandelis said, unaware Agravaine wasn't backing him.

The three boys crawled out from under the table. "Nice going you idiot!" Dagonet shot.

"A court fool calling me an idiot. Oh the irony," Brandelis said. "Get back in your jester's costume, joker. Bring Alymere along too."

"What do you want, Bran?" Arthur asked, frowning.

"To see you squirm? Like always," Brandelis replied, smirking.

"You know he has backup this time, right? What do you have?" Alymere questioned.

"I'm pretty sure I can hold my own against you three just fine," Brandelis answered, inwardly cursing Agravaine for ditching on him when he realized the other had bolted. He saw Arthur pull out his books and knocked them quickly out of his hands again, making Arthur gasp and scowl at him.

"Back off!" Arthur insisted, bending down and picking them up. Alymere and Dagonet had found theirs by now too. "Come on guys, let's ditch this creep."

"Right behind you," Dagonet agreed, glaring at Brandelis.

"What's the matter, Arthur? Not man enough to take me on in a verbal spar?" Brandelis asked.

"Not petty enough," Alymere corrected for Arthur. "Have fun looking like an idiot while you pick up those books! We…"

"Aren't going anywhere until that mess you made is cleaned up," a voice said. The three quickly turned, gasping.

"Sir Galehaut!" they exclaimed in shock at the same time.

"It wasn't us! It was Brandelis!" Dagonet quickly defended.

"That's not the way _I_ hear it. And I have a witness," Galehaut said, gesturing.

Agravaine stepped into sight, wearing a mask of shock. "I have no idea what came over them, sir," he said in the fakest tone ever. "One minute they were studying and the next they were talking about doing a little sabotage around the library and blaming it on poor Brandelis. I mean, ganging up on a single boy? How fair is that?"

"You mean like you've all done my entire life?!" Arthur heatedly defended, outraged. "King Galehaut, you can't be buying his crap! Oh what am I saying? You're not. You're just playing along."

"He's more Lancelot's lackey than Lancelot's _lackeys_ are," Alymere said, glaring at the man.

"Have you ever stopped to consider the possibility that Lancelot may be _my_ lackey?" Galehaut evenly retorted. "Or, more likely, that I'm an independent contractor? I would advise, Arthur, that when you go home this weekend you check over your foreign correspondence. I've been so wanting to see your reaction to the letter I sent. You'll soon see that my… dealings with you go a little above your petty high school drama. A reply to said letter can be your apology assignment for this mess. Which you and your friends will now clean. Immediately."

"You want a response? Here's my response! Fu…" Arthur began. Dagonet quickly covered his mouth.

"We'll get right on it 'sir'," Dagonet bitterly replied, dragging Arthur away. Brandelis smirked victoriously at them then went towards Agravaine, high-fiving him. Chuckling, the two left. Galehaut remained behind, ensuring Arthur, Dagonet, and Alymere cleaned it up properly, making certain they redid it more than once too.

KAK

Lucan, who had been heading back towards the library with some information, paused on seeing Agravaine and Brandelis leave, coldly laughing. He didn't move, watching them go. He turned to the door, grimacing. Did he need to know? You know what? Arthur could wait until the weekend. He tucked the notes he'd made away then turned to leave. No sooner had he done so when he gasped on seeing a man approaching him. He backed away fearfully, eyes fixed on the figure, until he bumped into a wall. "I see you remember me, Lucan," the man greeted.

"M-my Lord Brian," Lucan stammered out. Brian of the Isles was the last man he wanted to be cornered by alone in the darkening evening. "My Lord, I…"

"You haven't been much of a butler to Arthur thus far I've noticed, boy. You're barely around him at all. That's hardly befitting your position. Why, it's almost like he doesn't know about the contract at all. Does he know, Lucan?" Brian questioned. Lucan was silent, head hung. "Did you think you could fool me forever, you little brat?" Brian growled, seizing Lucan's arm roughly. Lucan looked fearfully up at him. "Time is running out. If he's refused your contract, its terms fall to me. Did he refuse it, Lucan?"

"N-no, he-he doesn't know about it yet," Lucan fearfully replied. "Let go of me." He gave a sharp gasp of pain as Lord Brian bent it painfully.

"Tick tock, boy," Brian threatened. "Oh, I can't wait."

"Get your filthy hands off my brother," a voice darkly growled. The man turned sharply and scowled. Bedivere. And with him was his and Lucan's cousin Griflet, along with Kay. "You deal with me, Brian. _Not_ with him!"

"You honestly believe that, don't you?" Brian replied with an amused and dark smirk.

"There's nothing to believe. That's how it is. Get your hands off my brother or I'll cut them off," Bedivere threatened. Brian scowled then released Lucan, turning and walking away without a word. Bedivere and Griflet glared after him before Griflet quickly went to Lucan, gently and reassuringly squeezing his arm.

"What was that about?" Kay questioned his friend, concerned. Something was going on, and it was something Bedivere hadn't told him yet. There was very, very little they didn't share with one another, so this didn't sit well with him at all.

"It's… it's not important right now, Kay. I'll tell you later, maybe," Bedivere replied. Kay looked unconvinced. "Just… just trust me."

"Somehow I get the concerning feeling this _isn't_ something I should trust you with," Kay answered. Bedivere cringed, looking away. Quickly he too went to Lucan, shutting down further conversation with Kay.

 _Weekend_

They were riding back to Far Far Away. Finally the weekend had come. It was a welcome respite from Agravaine's incessant meddling in everything he'd been doing, Arthur noted. Unless _this_ weird occurrence was Agravaine's handiwork too. Lucan had joined them on their trip. Arthur stared across the carriage in confusion at their uninvited guest. Dagonet, who was sitting next to him, looked equally lost. "So… why again are we bringing the geek?" Dagonet finally asked. Lucan gave him a look.

"Don't become a bully like the jousters, please," Arthur begged. "But I have no idea. He just hopped in. You saw it."

"I did not 'hop' anywhere," Lucan said. "I clambered like a sensible person."

"Clambered. Right," Dagonet said.

"So, uh, did you learn anything about the guards?" Arthur asked.

"Yes," Lucan answered. Silence.

"Will you tell me about them?" Arthur finally pressed, getting annoyed. "Come on dude, it can't be that hard to guess that's what I meant."

"Will I?" Lucan asked.

"Oh for the love of… Yes, Lucan! Yes you will! Tell me about them! Now! I order it!" Arthur snapped.

Lucan was quiet. "As your majesty commands," he finally answered. Arthur scoffed, rolling his eyes, but Dagonet was perking up now, suddenly more interested and watching Lucan with a measure of guarded suspicion.

"Most of them returned to Rience's kingdom. Unless you want to go to war with another king on top of the rebel ones, I'd advise you not send word to the psycho that you want them. A few, however, remained in your territories. Here's a list of names," he said, handing it over. "Locations included."

"Thank you! Why was that so difficult for a genius like you to infer?!" Arthur demanded. "Oh gods, you have me using big words now too."

"Infer isn't…" Lucan began.

"You have me using high-level language too," Arthur corrected, glaring at him with eyes narrowed. Why had it been him always getting beat up again?

Lucan winced and glanced away. "Sorry," he murmured.

Arthur sighed. "It's fine, Lucan," he replied. Lucan was quiet, gazing expressionlessly out the window.

"Err, does your brother know where you are? Or your cousin?" Dagonet asked after a moment.

Lucan tensed slightly. "Bedivere and Griflet… have an idea," he answered. "I told them I'd be gone for the weekend and not to worry. It's fine."

Dagonet was quiet. "So… why'd you come? If it was only to tell Arthur what you found out, you could have just given him the list before he left," the court jester pressed.

"Curiosity," Lucan vaguely answered.

"Curiosity. Right. Whatever you say," Dagonet said incredulously.

KAK

Arthur walked into the castle with Lucan and Dagonet in tow. "Home sweet home?" Dagonet teased.

"I don't even know what home is anymore," Arthur answered. "This place is still totally new to me. Worcestershire's always been my home, either there or with Ector and Kay. This castle is probably more home sweet home to you than to me. You kind of came with the place."

Lucan tensed up subtly. Dagonet caught the reaction and raised an eyebrow. "So, any chance of a tour?" their tagalong asked.

"Sure. Need to find Aunt Lillian anyway," Arthur replied. Lucan pulled out a blank scroll and a quill. "Really? You're taking notes on the place you're visiting for a weekend?" Arthur incredulously asked.

"Don't give me that look," Lucan defended. "I take notes on anything of pertinence."

"Whatever. As long as you're not selling secrets to my enemies, you're good," Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

"As if I could be bothered," Lucan answered. "Après vous."

"Whatever man," Arthur replied. "In case you haven't guessed, this is the main hall. Those are the stairs." Lucan glared at him. "I'll get into the swing of this tour thing," Arthur sheepishly said.

"Good," Lucan answered. "Because thus far I'm unimpressed."

"Bite me," Arthur said.

Lucan glared at him. "You realize you're king, right?" he finally replied.

"What does that have to do with…?" Oh… "Oh for pete's sake, tell me you know sarcasm, please!" Arthur demanded.

"Be sparing with it on the throne. You're king, Arthur. What you order goes," Lucan replied. Arthur threw up his hands hopelessly, shaking his head, and continued.

KAK

A few hours later, the young king had finished outlining for Lucan most of the main rooms, those that were of major importance. A lot of the space in this castle was just that, space. Servant quarters, guest quarters, knight quarters, spy quarters, servant's dining hall, etc. "As you can see, there's plenty of room for most anyone in this castle to live comfortably like they had their own place. It's really something," Arthur said as they finally came to the throne room. "I'm really proud of that. I mean, I don't like the idea of anyone in this castle living crammed in a little corner of the palace when there's so much area to be doled out. And we still have empty rooms, so yeah. We need like a thousand housekeepers in this place."

"Exaggeration?" Lucan asked.

"I hope so," Arthur said, grimacing. "But it seems like every day I see a new one. I don't think I've seen the same scullery maid twice since I've been here. Maybe I'm just not paying attention, though. I should just assign them their own areas of the castle to clean so it's not chaos."

"I think they rotate for protection," Dagonet said.

"It only takes one lustful knight coveting one pretty maid for things to get bad," Lucan agreed.

"Good point," Arthur replied, grimacing. "Anyway…"

"Ah Arthur, here you are," Lillian's voice said. They turned as she came. "Oh. And you've brought company. Hello Lucan. Welcome to Far, Far Away. Make yourself comfortable," she gently said.

"Yeah… Thanks," Lucan replied, head bowed.

"I hope you'll come to like it here," Lillian replied, sounding slightly sympathetic. Why she did, Arthur didn't know.

"Come on, aunty. He's here a weekend, not forever," Arthur said.

"He's…? Oh. I see," Lillian said, something like concern in her voice. "A pity. I still think he'd make a very good butler for you."

"I told you before, I'm not hiring," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes.

"Technically you never hired me either," Dagonet pointed out.

"Like I said, you came with the place," Arthur answered, shrugging.

"Come on, Lucan. I'll show you where to set up," Dagonet said. Lucan nodded and followed the court jester out.

Lillian turned to Arthur. "It must be exciting to be able to bring friends home now, dear," she said.

"He's not my friend. He literally just jumped in the carriage as we were leaving. Brought his scroll and a quill and nothing else," Arthur said. "I have no idea what he was playing at."

Lillian was quiet. "You know, a butler is something this castle does need," she finally remarked.

"Aunt Lillian, can you drop it please? I don't want a butler right now!" Arthur protested.

"Arthur really, what can it hurt?" Lillian pushed.

"Ugh, I'm going to my room to unpack," Arthur grumbled, turning and walking away agitatedly.

KAK

Lucan looked around the room quietly. "Anything included?" he asked.

"A few things, but you're welcome to bring your own stuff you know," Dagonet replied.

Lucan was quiet. Soon, though, he turned. "You know," he remarked.

"I… guessed," Dagonet answered. Lucan was quiet, head bowed. "How long?" Dagonet pressed again.

"Can we not go there now? Please?" Lucan asked.

"I was sold into it, if that means anything to you," Dagonet murmured empathetically.

Lucan was quiet. "How old were you?" he finally asked.

He shrugged. "I was bought and sold and bought again with my mom. Dad… he died trying to protect us, but he failed so we ended up enslaved anyway, just without the added benefit of having him around," Dagonet said. "Mom always said Uther was a good master. He tried to come across as cruel and tough and sharp, but the key word is 'tried'. He treated his slaves well, mom said, and fairly. He took care of them like they were any other subject in the kingdom. He never treated them as less. I only really remember Harald and Lillian as our owners. Uther was gone before I could remember him that well. Harald and Lillian were good masters too. They treated us well. Lillian even treated us like friends. Or in my case like a mom, after… after mine died…"

"And Arthur?" Lucan asked.

"You saw him in the carriage," Dagonet replied. "He's been the underdog for so long he doesn't even _consider_ treating me as anything less than an equal. I don't think the guy has ever given me a single order in his life unless he's asking for a favor like you'd ask any peer for a favor. You don't have to worry about Arthur. Like at all. Sometimes I wonder if he even sees classes or notices the differences between freedmen and slaves."

Lucan was quiet. "It was… it was a debt…" he said, but didn't go into detail.

"I'm guessing Arthur doesn't know?" Dagonet flatly said.

Lucan was quiet. "I'm afraid," he admitted.

"Of him?" Dagonet asked. "Because that sorry sap is harmless."

"I'm afraid of how it could play out," Lucan answered. "If he collects on the debt… There's just too much unpredictability. He's accustomed to you, he likes you, but me… Besides, who's to say Arthur will even stay like he is as he gets older and starts to understand his role more? Never trust uncertainty and unpredictability. Ever."

"And if he refuses to collect?" Dagonet asked.

Lucan was quiet. "I'm going to lay down for a while," he finally answered.

"Lucan…" Dagonet began.

"Just go," Lucan replied.

Dagonet sighed. "If you need to talk about this…" he began.

"Don't… tell Arthur. Yet. I'll… I'll figure something out myself," Lucan said.

Dagonet was quiet. "Okay," he finally relented, against his better judgement. "Okay. But if you don't tell him soon, don't think I'll keep quiet. I don't like your silence about this." Lucan nodded. Dagonet rose and left. Lucan sighed and fell back on the bed, staring up at the roof. This was exactly what he'd wanted to avoid, he dryly noted to himself.

KAK

Lillian sat on her chair, pale. Her nephew was confronting her about something she decidedly did not want to be confronted on. Ever. "You released him?" she finally said in a breath.

"He was dying, Aunty!" Arthur shot. "Horribly! I get that he was accused of some really, really bad stuff, capital punishment stuff, but why wouldn't you and Uncle Harald let him plead his innocence?

"I… We were too quick to judge. We didn't think, Arthur! The things he was accused of… He probably never even mentioned the worst of them! More than some of it hit too close to home. We were in an emotional state, we were devastated and grieved and felt so helpless and useless in the wake of… The whole city was wiped out! All of it! Nothing was left! Mass graves were being dug, piles of bodies were being burned… They didn't leave one man, woman, or child alive or undefiled… It was Rience's own hometown! No man will devastate his own home town killing all his own family off among the rest just to spite some rebel with a handful of men! I didn't even want to _hear_ an excuse from the accused's mouth. Nothing he said would have convinced us of his innocence, and nothing he ever says will convince me fully to this day that he didn't have at least a part in it," Lillian replied.

"Didn't he deserve the benefit of the doubt?!" Arthur demanded. "Do you know what they were doing to him in that prison?"

"If he is guilty of what he was accused of, nothing they did to him would have been enough," she stated. Uncertainty came to her eyes. "Why are you so sure he is telling you the truth?" she asked, tone softening a bit more and becoming uncertain.

"Because the guy who accused him was that psychopath Rience?" Arthur replied like it was obvious.

"What do you even know of Rience, Arthur?" Lillian asked.

"I've been reading, okay?! You sent me back to that rat's nest to learn more so I could be a better king, and I've been learning," Arthur replied. "The guy's a psycho overlord who's been overthrowing king after king, even if they do nothing to him. Then he kills them and takes their beards as trophies to put on his mantle! And he was your ally?! Because he sure as heck isn't going to be mine!"

"Far Far Away was in dire straights after the death of Uther. Rebellion was on the rise, our loyalists were wavering… He was willing to aid us when no one else was. How were we to know how it was he was aiding us? Not until years later did we learn what he'd been doing. We drove him out the _moment_ we found out," Lillian said.

"And you couldn't give Petipace a retrial after it clicked with you that you and Uncle had buddied up with a psycho?" Arthur demanded.

"We…" Lillian began. She sighed, bowing her head. "We'd forgotten all about him…" she admitted.

"I just can't believe this… I don't even know anymore," Arthur said. He sighed, bowing his head. "The things they did to him, the things he suffered, you should have seen him, aunty! Even if he'd been guilty, at least _some_ of his men probably didn't deserve to die like they did! Did you know that prison was sinking? Did you know that the guards abandoned those men to die?!"

"We forgot about the prison too. It was built and tended by Rience. We'd given him leave to imprison the men however he saw fit and to treat them however he saw fit with no restriction, and in time we forgot all about it… It was in Rience's hands from the start regardless, then more pressing issues came to mind and one rebel noble and his band of loyalists was the least of our concerns. We made a law his name was never to be spoken in Far Far Away again on pain of death and left it."

"Wow. Just wow," Arthur said in disbelief. "So, my saying his name technically means I should be put to death under current law?" Arthur demanded. Lillian was quiet. "For the love of… First thing I'm doing is tossing out that law." He was making them now, so in this case, this once, he'd let himself be above it.

Lillian was quiet, looking ashamed. "We should have let him state his case… Had we remembered… I cannot even say for certain I know what we would have done… It's too little too late now…" she said. It was their faults…

"Who were the men imprisoned there?" Arthur asked. "Because congratulations, aunty, you've gotten yourself a job! You get to send letters to the families they left behind, because I don't want that task! And _you_ need to answer for your actions."

A smile pulled at Lillian's mouth. "Well done, my dear… You judged as a king," she said.

His angry expression became one of surprise. He _had_? "Whoa…" he said in realization. He _had_. That felt so… so strange.

"Is it enough?" she prompted.

Arthur was quiet, still looking stunned. He blinked. "No," he finally answered. "You need to meet him, aunty. Face to face… And you need to hear his story, and you need to hear of everything he went through that he won't tell me because I assume he figures it'll scar me. You need to do whatever you can to apologize to him, if needed, for what you and Uncle Harald let him go through."

"You will be a wonderful king, Arthur. You're starting to be already," Lillian replied. "If that's to be my punishment, so be it." Arthur winced slightly at the word punishment. It didn't seem right he should be punishing his aunt. It felt like it should be the other way around.

"Aunty…" he began.

"Don't back down because of who I am, Arthur. You've done right. Perhaps you've even been too soft," Lillian said, rising. "I'll get started on the letters immediately. And if Petipace wishes it, I will even suggest to you a memorial be made in the names of the men who died in that wretched place." Gently she kissed his head and walked away, leaving Arthur gaping after her in shock and disbelief. Wow… This felt eerily surreal. He shifted. Maybe he should go find Dagonet and Lucan and take his mind off this.


	17. Brian of the Isles

Brian of the Isles

(A/N: **Second posted** chapter today.)

Agravaine was more than a little hesitant to talk to his mother about the week. Technically he'd succeeded, right? He'd gotten Arthur humiliated and belittled more than once. Maybe it would have actually worked better than it had if Artie was still the loser with no friends, but oh no. Alymere had to buddy up with Dagonet, who'd just had to buddy up with Arthur, who'd just had to buddy up with Balin and Balan, and suddenly Arthur wasn't suffering everything alone. Suddenly he had people he could talk to, and that was not a good sign for Morgause. And by extension him.

He stared at her door uneasily, willing himself to get up the courage to go inside and make his report. The heck was her problem with Arthur anyway? Sure, dad had been looking like a serious and in fact likely candidate to be named Uther's heir until they'd been told about the sword in the stone—at least that's how mom's story went—but still. She hadn't seemed much a fan of Arthur's ever. He shifted uneasily.

Lot, meanwhile, came down an adjacent hallway reading over some documentation ponderously. He paused when he saw his son standing outside Anna's door. He raised an eyebrow then frowned as it dawned on him what this probably meant. "What has your mother got you doing now, Agravaine?" he questioned.

Agravaine tensed up, wincing. He turned sheepishly to his father. "Um… Nothing you'd disapprove of!" he answered. Lot looked dubious. "Spying on Arthur and making his life a nightmare," he quickly explained. Lot frowned. "Hey, you're the one pushing to go to war with him," Agravaine insisted.

"Correct, but the last people I want being used as tools in this war are my children," Lot replied.

"Well your children are in the thick of it, dad. We go to the same school! Not like you have anyone in a better position to undermine and humiliate him," Agravaine said.

"Mmm hmm. And what happens when undermining and humiliating graduates to physically harming?" Lot asked.

"Not like you don't want that. Besides, he already gets beat up semi-regularly," Agravaine replied.

"Alright, let's try this. How long before undermining and humiliating graduates to espionage? How long before espionage graduates to assassination? Where do spying and espionage lead?" Lot asked.

Agravaine was quiet. "Death?" he replied hesitantly.

"Right. And you and your brothers are the last people I want ending up casualties of this war. I'd send your mother first," Lot said.

"Well maybe you should have thought of that before you started this war, dad! We're traitors by virtue of being your sons already!" Agravaine shot.

"Wrong!" Lot sharply and angrily snapped. Agravaine tensed up. Lot sighed. "I'm not sure at which point you forgot, but Worcestershire stands as its own community. Part of the reason people send their children to that place is to protect them in wartime. Your allegiance, Agravaine, is with Worcestershire. Not with Orkney and Lothian, not with Far Far Away, but with Worcestershire."

"Then why the hell did you march against it, dad?!" Agravaine shot.

"Because I made a mistake and I'm not above admitting it," Lot answered. "I should have marched on Far Far Away, seized the throne, and had Arthur marched back in chains. And next time I will. I don't care what your mother wants out of you, don't test these waters farther, son."

"That's my call to make," Agravaine replied, eyes narrowed.

"Then make it a good one," Lot replied, turning and walking away. "I'll send Mordred before you go in, to act as a buffer zone. You may be the only brother who has as much influence over him as his mother does, or coming up on it." Goodness knew he didn't hear his _father_. More than once he'd gotten the 'you're not my dad' spiel from that boy. Which, admittedly, had been painful but not unexpected. It usually ended in the little boy shaking with emotion and hurt and fear looking ready to bolt or attack, but generally he could talk him down well enough. If Mordred did go at him, usually it only took his snagging him from the ground and holding him close for Mordred to break down in his arms and cling to him. Either continued anger that quickly faded or endless apologies ensued at that point… Gods he was afraid for that boy… He wished he knew what to do, but if anything, time just seemed to make him worse… How was he supposed to protect and help Mordred if he didn't even know where his grief was coming from?

"Okay," Agravaine relented.

KAK

Agravaine waited outside the door. It was only about five minutes before Mordred happened along, obviously in the process of carrying out a different task. Which meant dad had been subtle. Good. It meant Mordred was given the opportunity to make his own decisions, which was something he decidedly _didn't_ get from Anna much. He paused on seeing Agravaine in front of their mother's parlour door. He looked up at Agravaine curiously. Agravaine stared back. Mordred continued to watch and study. "What?" Agravaine asked.

"Why are you outside mommy's door?" Mordred asked.

"Because I need to make a report she's not going to be happy with and mommy's wrath isn't something anyone wants," Agravaine replied borderline condescendingly.

"Why is mama going to be mad?" Mordred asked.

"Because our good buddy Arthur suddenly isn't the lone loser anymore," Agravaine replied.

"Yes he is. He doesn't go to his friends about things that often," Mordred said. "He doesn't trust anyone, even them even though he wants to."

"How would you know?" Agravaine asked.

"Because I learned from you?" Mordred answered with about as much condescension as Agravaine had used on him earlier.

Agravaine smirked. "I taught you well," he said. "I guess you _are_ harder to see than I am, so that explains why you've gone unnoticed. So, Arthur usually internalizes. Good to know. Just means next time I have to strike when he's alone, and strike hard. He'll probably report his little annoyances to his buddies, so whatever I do needs to be a lot more than an annoyance."

"He reports bigger things to his papa and Kay," Mordred pointed out.

"So, it has to be so big he won't even tell them," Agravaine said, smiling. Mordred nodded. "You know little bro? That would have been great to know before I had to face Anna!" he said, graduating to an angered tone as he gestured to the door.

Judging by Mordred's expression, he hadn't seen that one coming. Good, learning opportunity for him. Mordred was good at reading people. Next time he'd be more prepared without doubt. Mordred frowned, obviously not happy with that response sneaking up on him. "What do you think mama will do?" Mordred asked after a moment.

"A lot of screaming. Maybe a light sentence of labor. Maybe imprisonment. Maybe hit me. Who can even tell with her?" Agravaine replied, throwing up his hands hopelessly. "At the base of it, I'm in big, big trouble. That's really all that matters. And she's going to make sure I _know_ I'm in big trouble in probably very uncomfortable ways. Wish me luck." He pushed open the doors and walked in. Three, two, one… He heard Mordred enter after him and inwardly smirked. The kid wasn't generally predictable, but in this regard? It was too easy. You didn't even have to really question whether he'd tagalong when he saw one of his siblings about to face their mother. He didn't like it when mom got angry with his brothers. Mainly because he found it strange she so rarely got angry with him. The kid was bright. He knew something was up. He just hadn't decided yet whether it was a good or bad thing that he was mom's favorite lackey. Honestly neither had any of _them_ …

KAK

Agravaine approached his mother, who was sitting near the back humming something. The lullaby she usually sang to Mordred. He heard Mordred's step falter slightly before picking up again. Agravaine hated that song… He didn't know why, just something didn't ring right about it. He'd never heard the lyrics, he didn't think even Mordred had heard the full version—or maybe he had—but there was something weird about it for sure. "Mom?" Agravaine said.

Anna paused, looking over, and smiled. "Agravaine," she said, laying down her embroidery. "You have a report for me, I suspect."

"I… Yeah," he answered. "I did what you said, made his life a living nightmare… Tried…"

"Tried?" she asked, a frown pulling at her lips.

He shifted slightly. Maybe if he did this professionally instead of desperately, she might be a bit more forgiving. "Turns out the lonely loser isn't so lonely anymore," Agravaine said.

"What?" Morgause asked, tone becoming chilling.

"He's finally gotten a clue and started to buddy up with people. Plus, Ector and Kay are stepping up more in the wake of his being taken to Far Far Away without their knowledge. It terrified them when they learned he was gone and that an ogre had taken him off. Guess they'd kind of been taking him for granted until that moment, like family tends to do with family. Get to thinking they'll always be there and then suddenly they're not," he said, prodding a sympathy angle.

"I question whether that's a bad thing, sometimes," his mother replied, and he inwardly winced at the passive-aggressive hint. Oh, she wasn't in a humor.

"The point is, he's starting to develop a support network. It's a slow process, but it's a process, and it's making things more… challenging. The impact his bullies have on him isn't lasting for as long anymore unless it's something pretty bad. He still internalizes a majority of it, so that's a plus in our corner," Agravaine continued.

"Indeed," Morgause said. "Now in layman's terms, did you succeed or fail?"

"I… certainly made his life more than a little uncomfortable," Agravaine replied, tensing a little.

"Did you succeed or fail?" Morgause repeated.

Agravaine was quiet. "I fa…." he began through gritted teeth.

"All good things come in stages. Isn't that what _you_ always say, mama?" Mordred spoke up quietly, glaring at her warningly. "So, stage one was a success. Now stage two gets to begin, right?"

Anna turned to Mordred in vague surprise, then smiled her pretty and sweet smile at him. "Of course, my darling. You're right. I suppose I can't hope to break Arthur in a week. Especially now that he has a network," she said. She turned to Agravaine. "But this coming week, I expect you, son, to redouble your efforts. Find that boy's weak point and find it fast. That is your most important school assignment. Am I clear?"

"Yes mother," Agravaine replied. "Come on, Mordred." He started to head out and Mordred began to follow, but…

"Mordred, stay," Morgause said. Agravaine stopped, sharply looking back at her. Oh, she was doing _this_ now. Great. Her little psych game. She loved to show off the fact she had the most influence over Mordred in this household. Every time someone seemed to be gaining more, she pulled stunts like this. A subtle 'know your place' to whichever of them was starting to pull her precious pet away from her.

"Mordred and I need to plan. He might have some use to me in this," Agravaine said.

"He'll have more use to me, I assure you," Anna said. "Mordred, stay."

"He isn't a dog, mother!" Agravaine snapped sharply before he could check himself. Immediately he bit his tongue. Dammit. That was a mistake. Sure enough, Anna's eyes blazed. Slowly she rose. "I-I'm sorry," Agravaine said, quickly looking away from her like to stare would mean turning to stone. Mordred watched between the two, eyes narrowed guardedly.

"You will be," she darkly stated.

KAK

Arthur watched in disbelief as Lucan took charge of the servants, organizing them more effectively and sorting things out under Lillian's watchful eye. Every so often she'd offer a suggestion but did little more. Soon the servants scrambled off, leaving Lillian and Lucan to themselves. Lillian praised the boy gently then left. Lucan headed back towards Arthur. "Any other problems you're having around here before we go?" he asked dryly.

"You do know you're not getting paid for this, right?" Arthur asked.

"I'm aware," Lucan replied.

"Then what are you doing, man? You're a guest, not a servant," Arthur said. Lucan was quiet. "Ugh, whatever. The weekend's over anyway. Let's just pack up and go back to school.

Lucan shifted. "Arthur, I…" he began.

"What are you waiting for? You're the guy who loves school. I'd have thought you'd be eager to head back," Arthur cut off. Lucan was quiet. Soon, though, he sighed and followed, head hung. Lillian watched in concern.

"What's his story?" Dagonet asked from behind the queen.

Lillian turned quickly, startled. "Oh, Dagonet. It's just you," she said.

"You know something," Dagonet pressed. "Please, Queen Lillian. No more secrets. Not if they're not necessary."

Lillian was quiet. "You'll learn soon, Dagonet. I promise," she said.

"Why is everyone so big on keeping secrets suddenly?!" Dagonet demanded. "And why…" He paused, trailing off, then sighed. "Why haven't I noticed how many secrets have been kept until lately…?"

"Because things are changing. Faster than I ever imagined they would. King Arthur is coming into himself… And slowly so is his court…" she replied. "My dear, I can't presume to know where any of this is leading, or which secrets are safe to share and which must be held off on… I'm confused too, Dagonet… Perhaps for different reasons, but I'm confused too…" Lillian said. "Now come. Let's be on our way. Worcestershire awaits." Dagonet nodded reluctantly and followed her. He didn't like letting this go, but at the same time… At the same time, he wasn't sure he wanted to know…

KAK

Lillian gazed towards the house where Petipace was staying. "You don't have to go now, aunty," Arthur remarked to her. "I should probably let him know you're coming anyway. In the meantime, you can get set up for your stay."

Lillian nodded. "Thank you, dear," she answered. "Now, show me to my room." Arthur smiled and nodded, leading her away. Arthur brought her up to a spare room in the guest house, large and spacious and meant for elite visitors. Of which Lillian was obviously one.

"Here you go, Aunty. It's one of our nicest," Arthur said, smiling at her.

"It is," she admitted, setting down her bag and moving around it. "I can't imagine how you came to so hate this place."

"You aren't the school loser being picked on by even the most outcast of the outcasts," Arthur bluntly replied.

"I understand less how it was you came to be so despised," she gently and sympathetically added, turning sadly to her nephew.

Arthur was quiet. "I don't know either…" he finally answered, head bowed. He didn't know what he'd ever done… Or maybe he was too blind to be able to see where he'd messed up.

"Oh no," Lillian said.

"Aunty?" Arthur asked, looking up. Lillian was looking out the window, seeming pale. Arthur frowned and approached, looking down. He started. Lucan, Bedivere, and Griflet were being cornered by a man with a force of at least ten behind him. And the man obviously wasn't a welcome guest in Worcestershire, given Bedivere looked like he'd cut him in half if he had to. A few other students lingered around, all of them more than a little concerned. Among them was Lancelot and his family, Arthur's friends and Kay, and two more boys who Arthur recognized as Degore and Tristan. Tristan looked more willing to kill someone than Bedivere did.

"Who's that?" Arthur asked.

Lillian drew a breath and turned to Arthur. "His name is Brian of the Isles. And if he's confronting Lucan, Bedivere, and Griflet now, it isn't good," she finally replied.

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked, tensing up.

"He was their master," she said.

"Master? Aunty, they aren't slaves," Arthur replied.

"Not in the same way you're used to seeing, but there is more than one form of slavery," Lillian gravely said.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Arthur protested.

"It makes all the sense in the world," Lillian replied, looking down. "He didn't tell you, then… That explains so much. Like why you kept refusing to take him on as your butler. I couldn't believe you would be so callous."

"Callous? What?!" Arthur demanded. "Oh for the love of…? Why is nobody open anymore?!" Ironic coming from him, but still! Immediately he turned, bolting. He had no clue what was happening, but he knew he didn't want it happening on _his_ watch.

KAK

Bedivere stood in front of Lucan and Griflet scowling, battleaxe drawn and shimmering. "Stay away from him!" he furiously shouted at the man facing them down and looking ready to set his force on the three.

"Are you out of your _mind_ you crazy son of a bit… dog?! What did you do, Lucan?! What the hell did you do?!" Griflet was freaking at Lucan, who's teeth were clenched as tightly together as his eyes were shut.

"Just let me deal with this!" Lucan freaked at his brother and cousin both. They turned to him, shocked. "I'll handle it," Lucan said, a little calmer now that neither of them were yelling anymore. Once sure they wouldn't interfere, yet, he approached the man and looked up at him.

"Time is up. Has he taken on the contract or hasn't he?" the man asked Lucan darkly. Lucan was quiet. "You know the terms of your family's debt," Brian pushed.

"You told me the debt had been dealt with," Bedivere hissed at Lucan, eyes narrowed at him accusingly. Lucan was quiet, head hung. "You told me there was nothing to worry about anymore! What did you do, baby brother?! What did you do?!" Lucan gave a sob, starting to shiver. Immediately Bedivere stepped forward with Griflet, anger becoming concern.

"What's happening here?!" a voice demanded. They looked over. Pellinore was approaching with vice-principal Bagdemagus.

"I've come to collect what's mine," Brian of the Isles answered.

"What do you mean?" Bagdemagus demanded, eyes narrowing. Without a word, Brian handed over a contract. Pellinore snatched it, reading it through with Bagdemagus. Their hearts sank. Slowly the two looked up from it in disbelief.

"Time is up, it hasn't been collected on, and so now it falls to me. I'm taking the boy back. Immediately," Brian said.

"You aren't taking my brother anywhere!" Bedivere snapped viciously.

"The boys are under this school's protection. I won't give Lucan to you," Pellinore backed firmly.

"You have no authority over him anymore! It was by Uther's grace he and his brother were allowed to be put to school in the first place. If the king has refused to accept, that right falls to me. Those were the terms," the man stated. "If he hasn't collected…"

"Collected what?" a voice demanded. Arthur. Everyone turned to him quickly with gasps or whispers. He stood there, eyes narrowed coldly at the intruder. "Collected on what?" he repeated again. "And I swear to the gods if I get _one_ more person giving me the runaround or keeping something quiet, heads are going to start rolling so talk! What's going on here?!"

"Arthur, I…" Lucan began

"Shut up," Brian of the Isles ordered him. Lucan bit his tongue.

"You keep your trap shut!" Arthur snapped at the intruder. "If you're going to take an attitude, I'm asking _him_ for an explanation! Yet again!" Brian scowled darkly at the boy king. The students lingering, meanwhile, gaped in disbelief. Was this the same school loser that got pushed around regularly? None looked more stunned than Lancelot. Once satisfied he'd quelled the man, Arthur turned to Lucan. "What's happening? No more dancing. Just talk to me," he said. Lucan was quiet. "Lucan, come on. Not now," Arthur pled.

"There was a debt our father owed," Bedivere spoke up immediately, seeing his brother was too flustered and embarrassed to speak. "When the late Lord Farquaad of Duloc came to power there, he bought up all the surrounding farmland for himself. He gave the farmers the option of serfdom or homelessness. Most chose serfdom, a few chose to move away. Dad was a proud man and refused to make himself Lord Farquaad's slave. Only after he'd walked out did mom find out she was pregnant with Lucan. Dad realized he'd made a mistake, but when he went to plead with Farquaad, Farquaad laughed and had him thrown out. He decreed that no one in Duloc was allowed give us shelter or let us buy food under the threat of imprisonment, and dad realized it was a belated death sentence. If he didn't get us off the streets fast, we were all going to starve. Father spent every waking moment begging and scraping in hopes of being granted shelter or alms, but it wasn't enough. Most weren't brave enough to risk Farquaad's anger. I started wasting away, mom started getting sick, then she went into labor and Lucan came into the picture. Mom wasn't lactating well, she didn't have what her body needed, so Lucan began to starve to death and I was already part way there, so when Sir Brian came into town, dad figured maybe there was hope. He threw himself on his mercy, so Sir Brian gave him land and protection… But in exchange, father would owe him a debt… He would work for the man until he paid off what he owed. This time dad couldn't afford to let pride win, so he agreed to enter into slavery."

"But Brian of the Isles was crooked and corrupt and kept increasing the interest until our father owed so much money, he couldn't have hoped to pay it off in his lifetime," Lucan bitterly said, glaring at the man. "I'm of the opinion he wanted dad to sell one of _us_ to him, but father refused to, so the money kept adding up and dad was worked to death. Debt bondage can be passed down generations. When father began dying, he saw his nightmare coming to life the more plain it became that he wouldn't make it. One way or another, Brian would have one of us his slave… Then King Uther Pendragon came…"

"Uther was inspecting the kingdom of Duloc on one of his regular royal tours. As high king, he needed to make sure the lesser kings and lords were acting in accordance with his wishes, more or less. They all had the freedom to make their own laws, but if a law consisted of something Uther particularly didn't like, he had the authority to confront the king in question about it and either work something out or overturn it. He stayed with Brian of the Isles at one point and father got wind of it. He found a way to get Uther alone and begged him on hands and knees to spare us our fate. He told him about the things Brian did, the beatings, the humiliations, every wrong done to him during his servitude and every wrong he suspected the man of doing against other servants or prisoners. Uther didn't agree to forgive the debt, but he agreed to obtain the right to the contract so that we would become _his_ slaves instead of Brian's. Given there were a lot of rumors about Uther floating around, as many horrible as good, dad gave up hope. Better the devil you know. Dad apologized for wasting Uther's time and went to leave, but Uther gave father a solemn vow he would take care of us and never harm a hair on our heads. What choice did dad have?" Bedivere said.

"How did Uther swing _that_?" Arthur asked.

"He saved Brian's life during a hunting trip—rumor has it Uther set the incident up, but nothing could be proven—and Brian swore to Uther he would repay him with whatever he wanted. The high king asked for our contract. Brian was unimpressed and argued until finally a compromise was reached in which nothing happened until after our father had died, at which point if Uther didn't collect on the contract within a set amount of time, the rights to us would revert back to Brian. Brian wanted the contract to revert back to his family on Uther's death, but Uther compromised again by telling Brian that if his true heir who came after him didn't collect on the debt within another set period of time, it would be returned to Brian, and so on and so forth down generations until the debt, which Uther capped immediately, was paid. When dad died, Uther took ownership of mom, Lucan, and I, and put me and Lucan to school here… Then Uther died…" Bedivere explained.

"Our saving grace was that no true heir had been found, so for a long while the contract was in limbo… Until _you_ took the throne… Then the time started ticking down for us again… Bedivere was the oldest. He was to be made the slave, but… but I couldn't let that happen! I didn't _want_ that to happen! I thought that-that maybe I could deceive our way out of it, so I went back to Sir Brian and told him that when the time came, _I_ was going to be the one to pay off my father's debt, not Bedivere. He agreed. I told him not to get his hopes up, that the new king was going to take ownership of our contract, and then… I don't know… I got scared, maybe embarrassed, and I didn't want to say anything to you about it and thought I could trick my way out or work hard enough or impress you enough that you 'hired' me, but you wouldn't take me on and I couldn't keep up the trickery and he figured it out and now… Now here we are," Lucan said.

KAK

"You idiot," Bedivere said, stunned. "Dammit, Lucan, you should have _told_ me! You weren't the one who was supposed to enslave himself to anyone! That was _my_ job!"

"I couldn't let you!" Lucan replied. "Not for me!"

"You're one of the only ones I would have _happily_ sold myself for!" Bedivere shot. He turned to the landowner. "I'll go with you, like I was supposed to, but leave my brother alone!"

"Bedivere…" Lucan began.

"The amendments to the contract are signed and sealed. It's done. The king has refused to take it on, and so I'm bringing the boy with me," Brian answered.

Arthur stared at Lucan in disbelief, then to Brian of the Isles. More than one person nearby looked ready to kill the man. He almost wanted to _let_ them. "I don't believe this. The next big decree I make is abolishing slavery," he bitterly stated.

"By then it'll be too late for Lucan!" Griflet desperately pled.

"I get it!" Arthur shot. He turned to Brian. "Look creep, I haven't refused to take on anything," Arthur stated. Brian looked over, eyes narrowed. "I'll take his contract on."

"It's too late for that," Brian said with a scowl. "You're overdue."

"Oh, I don't think I am. _Somewhere_ in the world I still have time!" Arthur icily answered. "I'm not letting you take him. If his rights fall to me according to Uther's contract, then his rights fall to me, so I'm keeping him."

Brian raised his hand and immediately his men drew weapons. "No, you're not," he stated.

"Don't think I won't put you on trial for rebellion!" Arthur snapped.

"Will the infant king arrest me with his own two hands?" Brian sneered.

Arthur's jaw twitched. "Do you want to fall at the hands of children?" another boy suddenly spoke up. Arthur looked over and started. Tristan had spoken up? He'd always figured the guy was just a milder form of Lancelot lackey. Wow, he looked livid. Arthur watched in shock as Tristan moved to stand next to him, sword drawn.

"You aren't welcome here, soldier. About face and leave. You won't take my best friend," another boy standing nearby, Degore, stated, also moving to back Arthur. Kay moved to stand behind his foster brother without hesitation. Then, to Arthur's shock—shock to the point his mouth nearly dropped— _Lancelot_ moved to stand at his side too! And Lancelot's relatives. And Dagonet, Alymere, the twins, Pellinore, and Bagdemagus… Wow. He was kind of touched. Even though it was probably more for Lucan's sake than his.

Brian, suddenly uneasy, began to back off a little, intimidated by the growing force standing ready to fight back against him for the sake of their own. He summed up his odds and knew immediately they weren't in his favor. "Fine," he finally relented. "Keep him. Pray they pay off their debt to me before you're brought to your own death by the rebel kings."

Turning, the man marched away quickly with his soldiers. Arthur glared after him, eyes narrowed. "I thought so," he replied under his breath bitterly. Now to deal with his new, ugh, 'slave'. Gods he hated the sound of that word.

Once sure the intruders had left, Bagdemagus and Pellinore lowered their weapons. The students followed suite. King Bagdemagus turned to them. "Alright, the show's over. Back to what you were doing. You did well, banding together like you did. Teamwork is a crucial lesson we try to teach here at Worcestershire, and you really showed it off here today. Good job, students," he praised. One by one they drifted off, some giving slightly curious and surprised looks to Arthur as they left.

KAK

Lucan watched as the others drifted off—say for his brother, cousin, Degore, and Kay—and turned quickly to Arthur. "Arthur, I…" he began.

"Get inside Worcestersire House, Lucan," Arthur cut off, angrily glaring at the ground and not looking at him. Lucan cringed, feeling his heart sink, then bowed his head, closing his eyes. Turning, he entered it without a word. Degore watched after him worriedly then gave Arthur a sharp look before following his friend inside.

"Arthur, please, he…" Bedivere began.

"Whatever you're going to say, I don't care, okay?" Arthur cut off.

"Let me take his place," Bedivere pled.

"That's between you and him, man! Don't ask me to start dictating your lives just because on paper I own your family!" Arthur replied. "I mean a contract? Really?! Is there anybody else in this godsforsaken school who's debt I need to collect on?!" Bedivere was quiet, head bowed. Arthur scoffed in disgust and entered the guest house again.

Gently Kay rested a hand on Bedivere's shoulder. "Your brother will be in no better hands," he promised reassuringly. Bedivere drew a shaky breath, looking towards the guest house again. Griflet's eyes were fixed on it, suddenly intently interested in Arthur Pendragon and what his game was. He would never have expected _any_ of this from him, and now he was more curious than he'd ever been before. And he'd been curious before, ever since the sword in the stone. "If you want to try and reason with Arthur again, go ahead," Kay encouraged Bedivere. "He's not going to kick you out." Bedivere nodded and started towards the building tentatively.

KAK

Lucan sat cross-legged on a window seat, resting his forehead against the glass miserably. Degore sat across from him, head bowed and knees drawn up. "You have any idea how much trouble you could have saved us if you'd just told me?" Arthur's voice asked from the doorway.

"I was afraid," Lucan answered.

"Of me?" Arthur asked.

"I wasn't exactly the nicest to you, master. I'm still not," Lucan replied.

"I swear to the gods, Lucan, if you call me master ever again," Arthur said, throwing up his hands hopelessly.

"Just checking my boundaries," Lucan replied, smirking weakly.

"Look, as far as I'm concerned nothing needs to change," Arthur said. "In the end, a paper's just a paper. I'm near certain you don't want to be a slave, and I don't _want_ a slave, so you don't have to do anything more or anything less than you choose to."

"That isn't how the servant game is played, Arthur," Lucan replied with a sigh.

"Yeah? Well I play the game differently," Arthur replied. "And I'm the king on the throne now, so there." Lucan looked over at him, mystified. Degore was suddenly observing Arthur a little more intently too, trying to read him and figure him out. And failing.

"Arthur, Lucan!" Bedivere called out, coming into the room. He stopped. They looked at him. He shifted then looked to Arthur. "If my brother won't let me take his place, let me join him in your service. We might pay the debt down quicker that way. I'm good on a battle field, I…"

"How much did your father owe that guy?" Arthur cut off.

Bedivere paused. "Uh… a lot," he soon answered.

"A lot being…?" Arthur pressed.

Bedivere was quiet. "A king's ransom," he finally answered. Arthur winced. Ouch. Yeah… that was a lot. "Sixty… sixty-thousand pounds of silver," Bedivere specified.

"The hell kind of interest was he putting on your dad?!" Arthur exclaimed in shock. That was _literally_ a king's ransom! Not just the figure of speech king's ransom, but a literal one!

"A big one," Bedivere answered. "More than dad could work off in his lifetime and probably more than we can too." Arthur was quiet, mulling this over. "Let me help him work off our debt. Please."

"I don't even want _one_ slave let alone two, Bedivere," Arthur replied.

"Look, just pretend I'm a volunteer or something!" Bedivere pled.

"Guys, I…" Arthur began. He sighed. "Fine," he relented.

"Thank you!" Bedivere said gratefully, looking visibly relieved.

"Ugh, first thing I'm doing when I get back to Far Far Away is abolishing slavery," Arthur muttered.

"Permission to speak?" Degore said.

"Why is everyone asking my permission suddenly?" Arthur demanded.

"Degore asks _everyone's_ permission," Lucan flatly said, rolling his eyes. "Force of habit."

Arthur sighed in annoyance. "Fine. Granted," he replied.

"Abolishing slavery won't stop wicked men from taking slaves. Even if they have to do it illegally, they will continue to capture and enslave, sir!" Degore said.

"Don't call me sir! What am I, your drill sergeant?" Arthur demanded. "Weirdo," he muttered under his breath.

"What abolishing slavery will do, sir, is stop the good from rescuing those same slaves from the wicked who'd otherwise take them. You're an example of that," Degore continued, ignoring the weirdo remark.

Arthur winced. Degore was right, he realized. If he hadn't agreed to take on the contract, Lucan would have been made Brian's slave instead. Gods only knew what kind of master that man would have been. His track record didn't seem great. "That isn't fair!" Arthur protested in frustration.

"Life's not fair, sir!" Degore said.

"Talk normal, dang it!" Arthur shot. "Wait, what if a lot of the wicked would-be masters won't risk their lives or punishment just for a slave? Wouldn't that save more in the long-run?"

"If you can take an accurate census on the illegal buying and selling of slaves that will happen after your law is enacted, then maybe that question can be answered," Lillian spoke up from behind. They all quickly looked at her, surprised. Arthur winced. He got the picture. The whole point of an underground was to be just that. Underground. There would _be_ no real way of knowing how truly expansive a slave network like that would get. Maybe it would even be more horrible. Definitely less regulated. They'd probably be worse off than before. He looked woefully back at Bedivere and Lucan, Bedivere of whom had made his way over to his brother and was standing next to him, reassuring him gently. Arthur sighed, turning away and bowing his head.


	18. Truths and Lies

Truths and Lies

(A/N: Last chapter in Book 1. Hope you all enjoyed it. Suggestions are always welcome. Book 2 is in the working and I hope to have it ready sooner than later.)

Agravaine was eerily quiet on the ride back to the school, leaning against the carriage doors with eyes tightly shut, curled up and wrapping his arms around himself tightly. Gareth, eyes fixed on him, was seething. Mordred was watching his brother uncertainly. Gaheris turned to Mordred. "You were brave, baby brother, to run and get daddy instead of letting mommy order Agravaine to be hurt worse," he gently said. Mordred was quiet. He'd also been the one to get the guards for mommy in the first place.

 _"_ _Mordred, fetch the guards. Now."_

 _"_ _But…"_

 _"_ _Go."_

 _"_ _Mordred, please, don't!"_

 _"_ _Go, Mordred. Oh darling, why are you hesitating? Go… I said go!"_

 _"_ _Brother, don't! Please!"_

"Don't blame yourself. You were scared," Agravaine said. It never failed. Every time one of them started to make some progress with Mordred, they'd watch it slip away like water when Anna got her hooks into the situation… They'd watch their baby brother slip away like water…

"He was Anna's puppet," Loholt bitterly corrected. Mordred sharply glared at him, eyes narrowed.

"If he was totally mom's puppet, he wouldn't have run for help," Gaheris pointed out to Loholt.

"Dad was majorly ticked, wasn't he?" Gareth asked with a cold smirk. He loved it when dad stepped up. It never failed to be sickly satisfying seeing Anna quail.

"For now he keeps her in check, at least," Gawain said. More or less. Usually she was the one pulling the strings, but only as far as Lot allowed himself to be pulled. The carriage pulled into the school as Brian of the Isles and his men were riding out. Gawain frowned. "Who are they and why were _they_ here?" he wondered.

"I can find out," Agravaine offered, smirking and chuckling. He winced. Ouch. Chuckling hurt. No more of that.

"No. You're getting to your room and you're resting. I'm going to check you out and rewrap your injuries. Maybe give you another pain suppressor potion," Gawain said.

"I prefer the herbal salves you make," Agravaine replied. "They don't have a taste. And generally they smell nice."

"Alright," Gawain agreed, nodding. "You might be in discomfort a bit longer, though."

"I've taken it so far," Agravaine replied. Gawain nodded then looked out the window again solemnly. Gods he hated when mom pulled stuff like this.

 _Maybe you hate_ _ **her**_ _…_

He winced at that thought, willing it away. She was his mother… She was his mother… Gods knew how little she acted like it sometimes, though…

KAK

"A butler and a marshal just like that. If I'd known the hiring thing would have been so easy I would have done it long ago," Arthur sarcastically said to his aunt.

"You're building up your court at least, making it your own," Lillian replied.

"Because _that_ makes me feel better," Arthur bit. He looked up. "This is where he is. Petipace," he said, tone becoming a little more solemn.

Lillian looked up at it. "So be it," she finally replied.

"Aunty, if you want to…" Arthur began.

"Stand by your orders, Arthur," she said.

"I never specified whether you could have someone go with you or not," he defended.

"I know. But I need to do this alone. Don't worry for me," she reassured. Arthur nodded reluctantly and stepped back. Lillian smiled then entered the house, drawing a breath as she went.

KAK

She walked to the room where she knew he was lain and entered quietly. He was awake, sitting up in the bed with head bowed low. He couldn't be much older than Fiona even was… Perhaps Charming's age or Shrek's. The curtains were drawn. "Dare I open them to see you?" she questioned.

"That isn't mine to answer," he replied. He looked up at her. "Queen Lillian," he greeted.

"Sir Petipace," she answered. He bowed his head again. She was quiet. "I still feel only disgust when I hear you speak or look at you… But if all this time I was wrong… It is easier to feel disgust than regret, I think…"

"If my lady wishes, she may leave it at that and go her own way while I go mine," he answered.

"No… I want to know… I _need_ to know…" she replied. "Why would he massacre the whole of his own hometown, his family even, to spite one rebel?"

"We struck first. We were the ones who killed his family and his friends. I'll admit that freely so you have the consolation you weren't entirely in the wrong," Petipace admitted. "We'd hoped killing them would cripple him… He was almost calm instead… Almost amused… Our rebellion had emboldened more than one king he planned to destroy. They were preparing to fight back. That's why Rience did what he did. To show us all, and all his rival kings, how little it affected him, to show us all how truly powerful and cruel and mad he was, and above all to bait us out. He ordered the massacre and ravaging of the city. The kings who had been preparing to fight against him instead fled, when they heard, and later died in their homes when he found them. We, on the other hand… We fought to try and save the people… We failed… He ordered as many of us captured alive as possible and specified there was no option for me. It was alive, no arguments or excuses on pain of death. He took us and had the very citizens we'd been trying to save executed in front of us before dragging me before you."

Lillian was quiet, head bowed and eyes closed. "I have only your word to go by," she finally answered in a whisper. Half of her tried fervently to deny the truth in his words. The other half heard it painfully clearly…

"Maybe that's kinder," Petipace murmured.

She drew a shaky breath, looking up at him. "Dare I open the curtains, young man?" she questioned again.

"That's your choice, not mine," he answered. "But I will tell you that… that it isn't a pretty sight… What you'll see if you do…"

"What did they do?" Lillian questioned.

"He liked hot iron and molten lead," Petipace dryly said. "But if you mean from the start, then the first thing they did was execute every man of mine that the prison couldn't fit… He burned them alive… The anguished screams and curses and tears of their fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, nephews, cousins… They still echo in my dreams… More than one bereaved loved one ended their own lives shortly thereafter or carried out a suicide assault on our enemies only to be cut down. An archive of tragic tales could be written on the deaths that day and the days following," he answered. "We were dragged into the bowels of the prison. They locked my men away but they kept me out, standing before them in the corridor to be made an example of. They stripped me, they forced me to the ground, and they beat me to unconsciousness, but that was the least of what they did," he said. "Every day I was brought out in front of them to be whipped or beaten or tortured in ways that you couldn't possibly imagine. Among those ways there was the Wooden Horse, Judas Cradle, and the Brazen Bull, though the latter never to death despite the fact more than once I hoped it would be. Branding, mutilation, pressing, broken bones I was forced to walk on, bones that were never allowed to heal, dislocation, starvation, dehydration… Say for torture methods that were certain to result in death with no possibility of only going part way, they didn't hold back on anything… Five times was the least any of those methods was used… The Wooden Horse and Judas Cradle became my only chairs. The floor of the cell I was in was covered in shattered glass and became my bed. Always bound and blindfolded and gagged unless they wanted to hear me scream or wanted me to see something. I had no control over any part of my body for all the years I was their prisoner. I barely retained control of my mind… By the time they abandoned us, I was no more than a hollow shell, and how I found the will to fight to live is a mystery even to me… I just knew that suddenly the pain stopped, and then I knew I couldn't let them win… I knew I wanted to live to see Rience pay…"

Lillian listened quietly, tears slipping out of her eyes. She knew he was holding back, refraining from being descriptive or mentioning everything. She suspected it was more for her sake than the sake of his own mental wellbeing, in some darkly twisted way. "We should have heard you," she whispered softly.

"It might have been best you didn't… Because then he would have come against _you_ , and gods only know the fate that would have been Far Far Away's then. You and Harald couldn't have stood against him alone," Petipace said. "In an abstract sort of way, my freedom and spirit and honor was the price for your safety."

Lillian rose and went to the curtains. She opened them, drew a breath, and turned. Her heart plunged into her stomach. His body was marred with reminders of whippings and of burnings and brandings and of a great many other things… And his face… It was half burned, and scarred wherever the burn wasn't.

"I'm so, so sorry…" she said, voice breaking slightly.

"It's over now," he answered reassuringly, trying to cover the burns with his hand self-consciously. "And I stopped holding it against you long ago. Hating you won't change the fact it happened."

"Sir knight, I…" Lillian began.

"It's alright, your majesty," he cut off insistently. "It's done… I'm just glad to be free again." Lillian sniffed, dabbing at her eyes, then went to him, gently reaching out and touching his shoulder. Turning, she left him to rest.

KAK

Arthur straightened up when she came out. He'd been waiting nervously outside. "Aunt Lillian, how'd it go?" he worriedly asked.

"He was kinder to me than I thought he would be. And much less descriptive… A lesser man would have rubbed in every gruesome detail until I would have been a sobbing mess on the floor, I'm afraid," Lillian answered. "What have you determined with Lucan and Bedivere?"

Arthur was suddenly very quiet, looking down. "I guess… I guess they're part of my household now, aren't they?" he finally said. "I mean like… like they live with us now? Like Dagonet?" he asked.

Lillian was quiet. "Yes," she finally confirmed.

Arthur drew a shaky breath. Great… "What about the house their father went into debt for?" he dryly questioned.

"I suppose that when their debt is paid off, they're free to return to it when they will," Lillian answered. "I'm sure their cousin Griflet and his parents will keep it up for them in the meantime."

"For the rest of their lives you mean," Arthur dryly stated. Because that was what it would take even if the two worked to the bone from dawn until dusk every day for the rest of their existence. He had to find some way to fix that. "Sixty-thousand pounds of silver? Really? Who even…?" He trailed off, stopping and tensing up.

"Arthur?" Lillian questioned.

Arthur was quiet. "Tormentors incoming," he grumbled, hunching his shoulders and glaring. Hector was coming towards him cautiously with Bors and Lionel.

Lillian turned. "They seem more nervous than malicious, dear," she remarked.

"Yeah right. They don't do anything without Lancelot leading them along," Arthur said.

"Lancelot may be their relative and the one they look up to most, but they are still their own people," Lillian assured gently. "I think that perhaps it would do you well to try and not immediately assume every action towards you is a negative one." It might even help him make more friends that way, she inwardly added.

KAK

Arthur glared at them as they came near. Glared so intently they started to falter and hesitate. Lillian didn't give her nephew a warning look. She wanted to see Arthur handle it himself. "What do you want? Lancelot send you to scout me out?" Arthur bit.

"Um, n-no?" Hector replied.

"Because the question is so reassuring," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes.

"You sound like Gareth. Back off. We're just here to talk," Lionel said, frowning at Arthur.

"We didn't come because of Lancelot, we came because of Lucan and what you did for him," Bohort added. "We just… wanted to say that was really cool. What you did."

"And gutsy," Hector added, loosening up a little. "I mean, you were practically all alone when you stood up to them!"

"Well, Bedivere and Griflet were armed," Arthur said in slight confusion, cautiously loosening up. This seemed surprisingly not malicious or cruel, which meant he was kind of suspicious but also a little hopeful.

"Lucan would have called them off. They were as bound to that contract as him," Hector said. "So yeah, you were basically alone."

"A good thing Tristan and Degore were there," Lionel said. "Degore is Lucan's best friend, and Tristan hates slavery in any form."

"Really?" Arthur asked. "How did Degore and _Lucan_ connect? The school geek and the militaristic, duty-first, grunt boy?"

"One of the great mysteries of the school," Bohort dryly said, grimacing. "Kind of like how you connected with the hotboxing twins."

"Because they treated me like a person instead of a punching bag?" Arthur bit.

"Or because they were chill enough to ride out your hostile exterior until they found something a bit more than the self-centered, self-pitying, loner freak who couldn't be bothered with people as a collective and seemed to care only for himself and his own company?" Hector bit sharply.

"Oh, don't act like you know crap about me," Arthur sharply defended. "Not like anyone tried to see beyond that or reach out anyway!"

"Because if they did you brushed them off or pushed them away," Bors bluntly answered.

"Go back to the chapel, Bors!" Arthur shot. "None of you know anything. None of you cared to try and reach out so you can't talk!"

"Fine! We're going. See you later Arthur," Hector shot, turning angrily and storming away. Lionel sneered at Arthur and followed.

Bors didn't follow right away. Instead he looked back to Arthur. "We tried to reach out just now," he said slightly sadly. "And you didn't see it. So maybe it was you after all, huh Arthur?" Turning, he left, leaving Arthur looking slightly stunned. Lillian sighed, bowing her head and shaking it hopelessly. Arthur stayed staring and shifted uncomfortably, looking slightly guilty.

"Oh Arthur…" Lillian said.

"How was I supposed to know?!" he defended.

"As I said before, perhaps you should try not assuming that every action taken towards you is a hostile one," she answered. Arthur looked after Hector, Bors, and Lionel uneasily. "Come dear, let's go." Arthur nodded solemnly and started to follow her.

"Arthur," a voice suddenly said. Arthur froze, tensing up, and turned nervously. Galehaut. Oh no. The letter! He'd forgotten about it. "Where's your response to my letter?"

"I-I haven't gotten around to reading it, sir," Arthur answered. Lillian curiously summed Galehaut up with a measure of caution.

"If you don't read it, boy, whatever ill I bring upon you unexpectedly is on your head alone," Galehaut warned.

"I don't have time to deal with you right now," Arthur said, looking down frustratedly. "I have six rebel kings to contend with!"

"And if you aren't careful, six will become seven. Or eight. Or nine," Galehaut evenly warned.

"What business do you have with my nephew?" Lillian questioned him, putting her hands on her nephew's shoulders.

Galehaut looked over at her. "Do you know who I am, Queen Lillian? I'm near certain you've heard of me at some point," he said. Lillian's eyes were narrowed. She didn't answer. "My name is Galehaut, King of Sorelais and of the Distant Isles."

Lillian tensed up, hands tightening on Arthur's shoulders protectively. "Galehaut?" she asked in a shocked and slightly frightened whisper.

"You know him?" Arthur asked.

"No… But I know he is a powerful warrior king against whom few can hope to stand," she said to her nephew. Arthur tensed up, eyes widening. "What do you want with Arthur?" Lillian pressed.

"My intention is to challenge him for possession of his entire realm," Galehaut answered. "As he would have read in the letter, had he bothered to."

"Already you have considerable power, loyal followers, and a reputation for nobility of character. King Rience himself won't dare to cross you. Your armies… your armies could have wiped out the whole of the armies of the rebel kings in one fell swoop, let alone Far Far Away's armies."

"Wait, he can what?!" Arthur demanded, now alarmed. He'd known the guy had hated him, but seriously? _That_ much?!"

"Why do you need to rule Arthur's realm too?" Lillian questioned.

"Because _he_ can't," Galehaut answered.

"You haven't given him a chance to try," Lillian protested.

"Nor will I. He'll recognize my overlordship soon enough, but I've determined to hold off for some time yet. This situation with the six rebel kings… amuses me," Galehaut said. "I'm more than a little curious how Arthur will handle it. Or more likely, how _they'll_ handle _him_."

"You _are_ a piece of work," Arthur bitterly sneered at him in disgust.

"You have time left to you yet to prove me wrong. Make good use of it, boy king," Galehaut said.

"So what, you're going to kill me when the time comes?!" Arthur demanded in outrage.

"Don't think of it as an execution, Arthur. Think of it as a mercy killing. Because what would happen to you while imprisoned would be far worse than mere death. You can't hope to stand to King Rience anyway, and I promise you, child, that it's only a matter of time before he rises up against you himself. You came to the throne with more enemies than you can even imagine already established. Enemies you could never hope to conquer. Their plans for you… They'll be far worse than any I could hope to come up with, so when I say my overthrowing and executing you will be a mercy, I mean it in the sincerest sense. It will be a mercy unlike any mercy you'll ever have again. "Or would you rather live out your life a prisoner or slave or trophy or example?" Galehaut said. Arthur was silent, looking more than a little uneasy. "Think about it," Galehaut finished, turning and leaving.

"Aunty, is he right?" Arthur asked.

Lillian was quiet. "I… Yes…" she finally admitted. "But I believe you can turn it all around. I believe you can fix all of it. I believe that you will prove Galehaut wrong."

"Before he launches attack?" Arthur demanded.

"That I cannot answer, nephew," Lillian seriously replied. "I wish I could."

"What other surprises came with the throne that you neglected to share with Shrek or anyone else?" Arthur questioned bitterly.

"Harald was in the thick of all of this, Arthur, not me. He did his best to keep me out of it, to shelter me from the truth of how truly bad things were… Sometimes I wonder if he had more than one reason for locking our daughter in that tower…" Lillian answered.

"Great! Just flipping great," Arthur said. Pulling away from her he stormed off sulkily. If he'd even known half of what was coming with this job, he would have tried extra hard to run away. Who was he kidding? He didn't know what he was doing. How could he hope to protect his realm if he couldn't even protect himself…? He paused, out of sight, and woefully looked up at the sky. Whoever his father had been, he wished he was here… He felt so lost… "What am I going to do?" he asked the sky in a whisper, sinking down against a wall. Miserably he buried his head in his knees and willed the nightmare to end. Peace was a lie, he determined. Peace was nothing but a lie… He hoped he was wrong about that.

 **End**

* * *

(Final A/N: Thank you for reading and thank you to all reviewers. It really helps me improve and helps to motivate me to keep writing. I'm really grateful for it all. Hopefully Book 2 won't disappoint.)


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